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WEEK-DAY SCHOOL SERIES. GEORGE HERBERT BETTS, Editor 



WHEN WE JOIN 
THE CHURCH 



BY 

ARCHIE LOWELL RYAN 



IN COLLABORATION WITH 

GEORGE HERBERT BETTS 




THE ABINGDON PRESS 

NEW YORK CINCINNATI 



BX S3* ^ 

/fa 



Copyright, 1920, by 
ARCHIE LOWELL RYAN 



0CLA6O429O 



NOV 20 1920 



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CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

Foreword 5 

I. What the Church is 7 

II. The Church of the Past 14 

III. Great Achievements of the Church. ... 23 

IV. The Church's Standard of Membership 33 
V. Problems of the New Member 40 

VI. How the Church Serves Its Members.. 50 

VII. What the Church Expects of Its Members 61 

VIII. Growth within the Church 70 

IX. Our Own Church 81 

X. Organization and Enterprises of Our 

Church 90 

Supplementary Material 101 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

Christ in the Temple Frontispiece 

Martin Luther Facing page 24 

Map of the World Facing page 81 - 



FOREWORD 

This little volume is the outcome of a definitely 
expressed demand for such a book on the part of many 
ministers. It is prepared for boys and girls from 
twelve to eighteen years of age who are uniting with 
the church. It is especially intended as a study text 
to be put in the hands of the young people themselves, 
and to become a part of the personal library of reli- 
gious books which every young Christian should be 
building. 

The text sets forth first of all the Christian Church, 
its origin, growth, and achievements. Then comes 
the meaning of the church to its members, and the 
kind of loyalty they owe in return. Much is made 
of the church as a means through which to serve 
others, as well as a spiritual home in which to grow in 
religious experience and usefulness. 

Eight out of the ten chapters have no denomina- 
tional implications, but would be equally applicable 
to most, if not all, evangelical churches. The last 
two chapters deal directly with the history, organi- 
zation, and achievements of the Methodist Church. 
The chapters are of convenient length for single 
lessons, and the questions for study and discussion 
at the end of each chapter will form convenient 
"teaching points" for the lesson. 



r 6 FOREWORD 

In the "Supplementary Material" at the end of the 
volume is to be found certain material relating to the 
doctrines, ritual, and membership requirements of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. This is to be used 
at the option of the minister or teacher of the class. 

Grateful acknowledgments are here made to the 
scores of ministers who offered many helpful sugges- 
tions bearing on the plan and material for this volume. 



CHAPTER I 

WHAT THE CHURCH IS 

So you are joining the church? Congratulations — 
both to you and the church! But may I ask to how 
many different organizations you already belong? 
Do you hold membership in some club, in a gang, or 
perhaps on an athletic team? Have you ever joined 
the Boy Scouts or the Camp Fire Girls, or any 
similar organization? 

Joining the Church 

You may say you do not "belong" to anything; 
that you have never joined any club or society. 
Yet it is quite certain that each of us does belong 
to a number of organizations. Some of these or- 
ganization we never had to join — we were always 
members. Others we were obliged to join in a 
definite, formal way (perhaps with impressive cere- 
monies) before we could claim membership. 

Organizations we do not join. — For example, we 
all belong to a certain family, and bear the name of 
Jones, Smith, Brown, or whatever it happens to be. 
Yet we never "joined" this family as we would join 
a club or a debating society. We simply were born 
into the family and found our membership awaiting 

7 



8 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

us and bringing with it food, shelter, and care. Our 
membership was taken for granted when we arrived. 
This gave us the right to live in the home, enjoy its 
comforts, share its responsibilities, and call ourselves 
by the family name. 

In much the same way each of us is a citizen of our 
country, of the State in which we live, and of the 
community, town, or city in which we have our home. 
There is no formal "joining" in obtaining our citizen- 
ship unless we came into this country as immigrants 
and had to be naturalized. Most of us were born 
into our citizenship as we were into our family. 

It is somewhat different with the school. Though 
the State provides for our education, we must be 
enrolled formally as members of a particular school 
before we are entitled to its privileges. If we abuse 
the privileges of the school, our membership may be 
severed and we then no longer belong. 

Joining the church an act of personal choice. — 
The church is one of the organizations which we must 
definitely join or unite with in order to have member- 
ship. You were not born into the church, but have 
decided to join it because you desire its help and feel 
an obligation to do your part in advancing its work. 
Deciding to unite with the church is one of the most 
important choices you have ever made, and taking 
upon you the vows of its membership is one of the 
most important acts of your life. 

We do not think much of a,n American who does not 
have sufficient interest in the country of which he is a 



WHAT THE CHURCH IS 9 

citizen to study its history and government. We 
expect one who is joining a club or society to inform 
himself about its rules, its purposes, and its methods 
of work. So also when we are joining the church. 
We desire to be intelligent in our membership. We 
wish to know something of the church's history, its 
enterprises, what it seeks to do for its members and 
what it expects of them in return. The purpose of 
this book is to give you this information about the 
church. 

What is the Church? 

What is this institution you are joining — just what 
is the church? One will say, "It is yonder building 
with a high spire." Another, "It is the place where 
people come on Sunday to worship and listen to the 
sermon." Still another, "It is where we go to Sunday 
school." 

The church more than wood and stane. — 

These answers are all true enough, but they do not 
tell the whole story. For you notice that they all 
speak of the place or the building. But the church 
is much more than this. Suppose the church building 
should be burned down, or destroyed by an earth- 
quake. Is the church thereby destroyed? — Or does 
the real church still continue to exist even though the 
building is gone? 

The church does much good in the world. Is it the 
building, then, that should be credited for the fine 
service rendered? In part, yes, for good buildings 



io WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

and equipment always help. But, after all, the stone, 
the brick, and the wood have no life and power in 
themselves. It is only when the church building and 
equipment are wisely used that they become signifi- 
cant. 

The real church. — A church is a group of people 
who love and follow Christ and who band themselves 
together for worship, fellowship, and service in his 
name. When Jesus said to Peter, "I will build my 
church," he was not speaking of the structure made 
of stone and mortar, but of his followers, the men and 
women, boys and girls who would join themselves 
together as a church to be workers in his cause. 
The most important thing about a church, therefore, 
is its members — whether they are true followers of 
Christ, trying to live as he would have them. 

The church and a church. — It is also worth notic- 
ing the difference between the church and a church. 
In your particular town or city there may be several 
different churches. Perhaps the Methodist Church, 
the Baptist Church, the Congregational Church, and 
the Presbyterian Church. Each of these is a church. 
Each has its own building, its membership of several 
scores or several hundreds as the case may be; each 
has its own minister, its own services, and each car- 
ries on its own individual work. 

But besides the particular Methodist Church, the 
Baptist Church, the Congregational Church, and the 
Presbyterian Church in your town these denomina- 
tions have churches in very many other places; 



WHAT THE CHURCH IS n 

hundreds and thousands of them in the aggregate. 
We may therefore speak of the Methodist church, the 
Baptist church, the Congregational church, or the 
Presbyterian church meaning all of the individual 
churches of these denominations thought of together. 

The great Christian Church. — We may even speak 
of the church in a broader sense than this; for while 
there are many denominations, all of them are fol- 
lowers of Jesus Christ and each one is working for 
his cause. We may therefore think of all of the 
different churches together as the Christian Church. 
The church in this broad sense consists of all Chris- 
tians, no matter to what denomination they may 
belong, nor in what country they may live. 

There are more than five hundred millions of 
Christians in the world to-day — five times as many as 
all the people living in the United States. What a 
great church is this that you are joining! And what 
an inspiring thought that all these millions upon 
millions of people of all races and nations love the 
Christ whom we seek to serve. 

Why We Have the Church 

We have the church for the same reason that we 
have the state, the school, or the family — because 
there are certain things which people can do better in 
groups than by working alone as individuals. 

Things we do better by working together. — 
To illustrate, it is better for the people of a city to 
unite in employing a police force, than for each one 



12 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

himself to undertake to protect his own life and prop- 
erty against lawless persons. It is easier for us to 
join together to support a government that will carry 
our mails, secure us justice, provide for our welfare 
and protection, and supply schools for our education 
than for each of us to undertake to do these things 
for himself. It is better for us and far more pleasant 
to grow up in a family group than it would be to have 
no home nor family where we belonged, but to be 
obliged to grow up independently and alone with none 
of the home relationships that are so dear to us. 

So also when it comes to religion. In order to live 
the happiest and truest Christian life, we need to 
associate ourselves with others who are seeking to 
live as Christians. In order to receive the instruction 
we require for religious growth and development we 
need the preaching, the teaching, and the worship 
of the church. In order to do our part as Christians 
we must join with others in helping carry on the work 
which Jesus left for his followers to do — we must 
work through the church in deeds of kindness, mercy, 
and loving service. 

While there may be those who live as Christians 
and do much good outside the church, such is the 
rare exception. It is as much of a mistake for one 
to try to be a Christian without belonging to the 
church as it would be for him to try to secure an 
education without the help of schools when schools 
are right at hand. The true Christian will no more 
try to get along without the church than a patriotic 



WHAT THE CHURCH IS 13 

citizen would try to live without acknowledging his 
allegiance to his country. 

We have the church, then, because we need it for 
ourselves; because it enables us to work with other 
Christians to do good to others; and because we believe 
that Jesus wants his followers banded together for 
fellowship, for personal growth and development in 
religion, and for service. 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. Make a list of the different organizations or 
social groups to which you belong without having 
had to join them; of those to which you belong through 
formally joining them. 

2. How do you think uniting with the church com- 
pares in importance with joining other organizations 
to which many people belong. 

3. Make a list of all the chief reasons or motives 
which decided you to join the church. 

4. What reasons can you give showing why one 
should inform himself concerning the church when he 
becomes a member ? 

5. With what different meanings is the word 
1 'church' ' used? Of what does the real church consist? 

6. Distinguish between the church and a church. 

7. Give figures showing the size of the Christian 
Church in the world. 

8. Explain reasons why we have the church. 

9. Why do you think Christians should join the 
church. 

10. Tell in your own words the most important 
thoughts you have gleaned from this lesson. 



CHAPTER II 
THE CHURCH OF THE PAST 

We always like to know where things come from. 
So we study the history of our nation and follow its 
development from colonial days on to the present. 
We learn how our State or city was founded and what 
names have been connected with its growth. We 
trace the lineage of our family back to its founders, 
and tell the story of their adventures and achieve- 
ments. 

In the same way every loyal member of the church 
wants to know where the church came from. What 
was its origin? Where and when did it begin? 
Surely, a great price has been paid for the religious 
freedom and the privileges we enjoy to-day. Surely, 
the history of the church is one of thrilling adventure, 
great deeds, and noble achievements. 

All this is true, and readers of this little book 
hardly can hope to find a more thrilling story than the 
account of the Christian Church and its conquest of 
the world. All we can do at present, however, is to 
give a brief sketch of the origin of the church and note 
a few of its great achievements. You must go to 
other books for the fuller and more interesting story. 

14 



THE CHURCH OF THE PAST 15 

Beginnings 

Jesus was the real founder of the Christian Church; 
it grew immediately out of his work and bears the 
name of the Christ. It seems at first thought sur- 
prising, therefore, that Jesus himself did not organize 
a church. Nor did he give his followers instructions 
as to how it should be done. He expected and 
desired a church for his followers, but he left them to 
organize it. 

The first Christian church. — The first group of 
Christians to form themselves into a church was the 
little company of about one hundred and twenty 
persons who were gathered at Jerusalem shortly after 
Jesus's ascension (Acts, chapter i). They met in an 
upper room of a house. The small congregation prob- 
ably contained most of the followers left by the Mas- 
ter. Among them were Peter and John and James 
and others of the disciples. They all prayed together, 
and Peter preached to them and to the others assem- 
bled. On one day about three thousand were con- 
verted and joined the church. 

In this way the church was started. The disciples 
and other followers of Jesus were on fire with love 
and enthusiasm. They persuaded their friends and 
neighbors; they taught, they preached; they prayed. 
Many were won to the church, not only in the region 
about Jerusalem but finally in pagan towns and 
cities as far away as Greece and Rome. From these 
centers the movement spread until the cause of 
Christ had won legions of followers. 



16 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

Growth of the church. — As time went on, mem- 
bers flocked to the Christian Church by thousands, 
tens of thousands, millions! They came of different 
races and nations; they represented the rich and the 
poor, the high and the low. The church welcomed 
and served all classes; it adapted itself to all con- 
ditions and times, and fitted itself to the changing 
needs of different civilizations. 

We can see now why Jesus did not need himself to 
establish any particular church — why it was perhaps 
better that he should not. His mission was more 
important. It was to put into men's lives a spirit of 
devotion and loyalty to himself and the cause for 
which he stood. Jesus met a few fishermen and other 
ordinary men and said to them, "Follow me." They 
obeyed, and as a result of their fellowship with the 
Master a new spirit entered their lives; they came to 
love him so completely that they were willing to 
serve him in any way, or even to die for him. 

How Jesus prepared for the church. — It wfts this 
inner spirit of devotion which Jesus planted in the 
hearts of his followers that made them ready to 
build his church and carry on his life work. They 
knew that Jesus wanted them to band themselves 
together as a church. He had mentioned it to them. 
They understood that the cause for which Jesus died 
could not succeed unless his followers organized and 
went systematically at work to spread his gospel. 
So they began at once to establish a church and 
through it to spread the new gospel. 



THE CHURCH OF THE PAST 17 

The personal loyalty and love which Jesus awoke in 
the hearts of his followerers was far better than any 
sets of commands he could have given them about 
founding a church. The standards of life and conduct 
he set before the world were worth much more than 
any particular kind of church organization which he 
might have set up. Jesus knew if the hearts and 
lives of his followers were right the details of church 
organization and government would take care of 
themselves. 

In this way the church was left free to adapt itself 
to different nations and races. It could be made to 
serve the people of the first century or of the twentieth 
century. It could meet the needs of the untutored 
natives of Africa or the cultured peoples of civilized 
countries. It could change as time went on, so that 
in any age it might be able best to honor its Founder 
and serve the world for which he died. 

The Testing *f the Church 

One of the best tests of a school, an army, or a 
business concern is the loyalty it inspires in those who 
belong to it — how much they are willing to sacrifice 
for their organization. 

The church under persecution. — The history of 
the church is full of stories of high heroism. In the 
second and third centuries after Christ the cruel 
Roman emperors determined to destroy the church. 
They persecuted the Christians, often burning them 
to death or throwing them to wild beasts in the arena. 



18 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

But the Christians stood firm. They were loyal to 
thei r Master and to the church. When Polycarp was 
brought to trial and commanded to curse the name 
of Jesus he answered, "Eighty and six years have I 
served him, and he has done me nothing but good; 
and how can I curse him, my Lord and Saviour!" 
For this he was burned to death. 

Even the women did not escape. Vivia Perpetua 
was a Christian, beautiful and well educated. She 
was twenty-two years of age when she was brought to 
trial because she worshiped Christ instead of the 
Roman emperor. The one in authority said, "Take 
a pinch of incense and throw it into the flames in 
honor of Caesar, and worship him, and I will set you 
free." But Vivia Perpetua refused to save her life at 
such a price, and she was first thrown into the arena 
and then killed with a sword which she herself directed 
to her throat. 

Very many such cases as these occurred during the 
earlier centuries. The history of the church has 
often been written in the blood of martyrs. The 
Christian Tertullian wrote to the Roman emperor: 
"Crucify us, rack us, crush us, stamp us under foot. 
The more ingenious your cruelty, the more numerous 
we are. The blood of Christians is the seed of the 
church." Surely, a church that can claim such 
heroism as this is worthy of our best loyalty. Surely, 
a Leader who can inspire such devotion should claim 
our fullest allegiance. 

Criticizing the church. — You will find people now 



THE CHURCH OF THE PAST 19 

and then who are indifferent to the church. You 
will meet others who criticize it and find fault with its 
methods. You may even hear thoughtless or unin- 
formed persons say that the church has little power, 
influence, or usefulness. 

It may be granted that the church has made mis- 
takes, just as all other organizations make mistakes. 
The church is not perfect, just as the government or 
our school system is not perfect. The church at times, 
when led by men who had lost the spirit of Jesus out 
of their lives, even has done harm. -At no time 
probably has the church lived up to as high a standard 
as it should or as its Founder would have it reach. 
All this is true just because the church is made up of 
human beings, who are themselves not perfect. The 
church is only as wise and as true and as helpful as 
are the men and women and the boys and girls who 
make up its membership. The church comes only as 
near being perfect as its members come to reaching 
the standard Jesus set for their lives. 

The church's influence for good. — Let us admit 
all this. Yet it will not affect our loyalty to the 
church nor our devotion to the work it has to do. 
For God is still in his church and works through it to 
bless the world. With all its mistakes and imper- 
fections the church is undoubtedly the greatest force 
in human history for the upbuilding of civilization and 
for teaching men how to live strong, fine lives. Take the 
church and its influence out of the world, and much 
that we prize most highly in our civilization would go 



20 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

with it. Take the church and its influence out of a 
community or a city, and you would not care to make 
it your home. 

Theodore Roosevelt said: "The church is a mighty 
force in the nation for keeping people toned up to the 
high levels of thinking and acting. It has been the 
force behind the building of homes for orphans, 
unfortunates, deficient, demented, aged. It has 
kept the affairs of the Moral Governor before the 
people." 

Why Different Denominations? 

If it may be asked why there are so many different 
divisions in this great army, a question might be 
given in reply: Why do we have so many different 
nations? Why are they not united under one gov- 
ernment? The answer is obvious. Separate nations 
have grown up because of differences in people, 
customs, traditions, and ideas as to governmental 
procedure. At the same time most governments 
exist for the common purpose to promote the welfare 
of the people. 

One single denomination not possible. — So it is 
with the great Christian Church. Various sects have 
arisen because of differences in people, customs, 
creeds, and ideas as to church government. No 
doubt the number of denominations might profitably 
be reduced, yet it does not follow that it would be 
wise to have just one large church organization. 
The temptations of autocracy are too great under 



THE CHURCH OF THE PAST 21 

such conditions, nor would such a church best serve 
all the people who belong to it. 

Growing spirit of unity. — The divisions within the 
Christian Church are, after all, largely external. "In 
the things which are essential the churches are deeply 
and gloriously united." They worked together 
practically as a unit in their service during the war. 
They are one in purpose to build up the Master's 
kingdom on earth. Year by year they are growing 
closer together even in external matters through the 
welding power of a common task. The challenge 
of a world with its supreme need of Christ is "closing 
up the ranks of God's militant hosts." 

In the next chapter we shall read about some of the 
achievements of the church. In the meantime shall 
we not each loyally determine to do our best to help it 
fulfill its high mission in the world and so honor Him 
who founded it? 



Study and Discussion Topics 

1 . What reasons can you give why we should come 
to know something of the past history of the church? 

2. Read the story in Acts, chapter i, and tell 
about the first congregation of Christians after 
Jesus's death. 

3. Tell the story of the spread of Christianity and 
the consequent growth of the church. 

4. Why do you think Jesus himself did not establish 
a church? 



22 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

5. What did Jesus do to prepare for the founding of 
his church? 

6. What is one of the best tests of the loyalty we 
bear to any organization or cause? 

7. Tell the story of some of the tests of loyalty met 
by the first Christians. 

8. What attitude should one take about criticisms 
against the church? 

9. Account for the various denominations of the 
church. What was said about the spirit of unity in 
the church? 

10. Sum up the best points you have gathered from 
this chapter and the thinking you have done upon it. 



CHAPTER III 

GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHURCH 

What has the church accomplished? In the 
centuries since its origin what has it done for the 
world? Has it proved worthy of its great Founder? 
Are its achievements such that today it has a claim 
on our loyalty and devotion? Do we owe it our 
service and support? 

The Church has Developed the Spirit 
or Democracy 

The early Christians greatly astonished the people 
around them by their spirit of brotherhood. Jesus 
had taught them that since they were all children of 
one Father they should look upon each other as 
members all of a great family. Distinctions of birth, 
rank, or wealth were to pass away. They were to 
"love one another even as I have loved you," the 
Master had told them. Brotherly helpfulness was 
to be the mark of the new society. 

The brotherhood of the church. — This was a 
strange doctrine in those days of aristocratic nobles 
and haughty wealth on one hand and of oppressed 
poverty and cruel slavery on the other. But the 
peed of brotherhood which Jesus had planted grew, 

2 3 



24 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

and the church has become one of the greatest agen- 
cies for furthering the cause of democracy. It 
teaches that all men are created free and equal, and 
that God is no respecter of persons. 

The democratic spirit of the church was well 
illustrated one day when a poor peasant was kneeling 
at the altar to receive the communion, and the Duke 
of Wellington came and knelt by his side. The 
peasant, embarrassed by having so famous a person- 
age as his neighbor, started to rise. But Wellington 
drew him back, whispering, "We are all equals before 
the throne of God." 

Why the church had a Reformation. — True, the 
church has at times in the past departed from the 
ideal of brotherhood and democracy given it by its 
Founder. During the Middle Ages selfish ambition 
took possession of the leaders of the church and 
they became very autocratic. Some of them became 
corrupt, and the power and influence of the church 
suffered a great decline. 

Then came the great Reformation of the sixteenth 
century, led by Martin Luther as a protest against 
the wickedness and errors of the Roman Catholic 
Church. At the risk of his life Luther boldly pro- 
claimed the equality of all men before God, and that 
salvation depends not on the pope or priest, as 
claimed by the Roman Catholic Church, but on each 
person's own relations with God. Luther even dared 
his enemies by nailing a copy of his arguments up 
on the door of the church at Wittenberg. When they 




MARTIN LUTHER 



GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS 25 

brought him to trial he said, "Prove to me out of the 
Scriptures that I am wrong, and I submit." 

The Reformation was the beginning of a new day, 
for it gave to the world the Protestant Church, one 
branch of which you are now joining. You and I 
are the heirs of many treasures of freedom which are 
ours because of the efforts and sacrifice of the church. 
Shall we not stand ready to do our part to advance 
still further through the work of the church the ideals 
of human brotherhood which Jesus committed to his 
followers? 

The Church has Honored Woman and the 
Home 

The best homes in the world are to be found in 
those lands where the Christian Church prevails. 
It is sad to relate that in many countries women have 
not had equal rights with men. They often have 
been looked down upon, left in ignorance and treated 
as slaves. The many beautiful pictures of the 
Madonna and her Child show the sacred place which 
the church gives to wifehood and motherhood. 
Wherever Christianity goes there wife and mother 
are terms of highest respect, womanhood is honored, 
and home is a place of love and companionship. 

The church and womanhood. — What a contrast 
when we turn to lands where the Christian religion 
is unknown! Less than one per cent of the women of 
India can read or write. There real home life as we 
are accustomed to it is unknown except where Chris- 



26 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

tianity has come in with its teachings; there women 
are degraded and looked upon as slaves. When a 
Christian missionary proposed to a Brahman that 
she would teach his wife to read, he laughed in scorn. 
"You can try/' he said, "but women have no brains. 
If you succeed in teaching my wife, I will bring you 
my cow that you may teach her to read!" Wherever 
motherhood is debased, there the home is unhappy 
and childhood neglected and oppressed. 

The church, through its schools and other forms of 
work, is gradually improving the condition of women 
in non-Christian lands. The great hope of millions 
of women beyond the seas lies in the ideals for the 
home which are found in the Christian Church. As 
we prize our own homes and honor and love our 
mothers let us do our best to bring to the homes and 
womanhood of less favored peoples the religion which 
can free them from ignorance and oppression. 

The Church has Increased Human Kindness 
and Sympathy 

Jesus spent much of his time relieving sorrow and 
suffering. He taught that human life is very sacred 
and that God cares so much for each of us that even 
the very hairs of our head are numbered. 

The interest of Jesus in social service. — 
Luke gives an interesting story (4. 16-21) which 
reveals the attitude of Jesus toward helpfulness to 
others. According to his custom he went into the 
synagogue to worship. They gave him the book of 



GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS 27 

Isaiah and asked him to lead the service. This is what 
he chose to read them : 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; 
he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach 
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to 
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to 
preach the acceptable year of the Lord." 

Increasing sense of the sacredness of life. — The 
church has caught this spirit, and through its work 
and influence the amount of suffering in the world has 
been greatly reduced. When Jesus came to earth 
the Roman empire was at the height of its glory and 
power. Yet in that day you might have traveled 
from the Euphrates to the Atlantic and not found a 
single hospital, asylum, orphanage, or other chari- 
table institution. Now, wherever you find the 
Christian Church there you find organized and 
efficient effort to relieve pain and distress. 

In the early days of Rome it was the custom for 
fathers to take babies which were unwelcome and 
throw them out on the hillside to perish or be devoured 
by wild beasts. There was no law to interfere. 

For centuries the mothers of India had been 
accustomed to throw their babes to the crocodiles 
in the Ganges River as a sacrifice to their gods. 
This went on until the laws of Christian England 
prohibited the practice. The Christian Church 
cherishes childhood, and tries to bring health, happi- 
ness, and opportunity to all children everywhere, 



28 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

It believes in the sacredness of life, and tries to make 
life as full and abundant as possible for every person. 



The Church Has Promoted Morality 

Jesus one time accused certain of his hearers of 
washing the outside of the cup while leaving it un- 
cleansed within. He meant that they had the form 
or profession of good conduct, but that their thoughts 
and desires were impure. The church stands for 
inner purity, for righteousness that begins in the 
heart and works outward and becomes good conduct 
and strong character. 

Standards of honor and integrity.— It is a notable 
fact that only in Christian nations is there a high 
standard of business integrity and of personal honesty. 
The church is constantly at war against all forms of 
evil and immorality. It is ever found at the van in 
the fight against alcohol, vice, gambling, political 
corruption, and all forms of oppression. Its power is 
always felt in every reform which seeks to make the 
world better and happier. Without the influence 
and work of the church neither life, property, nor 
virtue would long be safe. 

True, much wrong and injustice yet prevail even 
in our own Christian land. The strong sometimes 
oppress the weak, and the greedy take what is not 
their own. To secure justice and fair play among 
men we establish government and pass laws. We 
inflict penalties on offenders and even send to prison 



GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS 29 

those who lift their hand in crime against their 
fellows. 

True religion the solution. — But making laws and 
punishing offenders is not enough. Indeed, this does 
not reach the root of the trouble. Men cannot be 
made righteous by laws imposed from without, 
desirable as such laws are to protect others. The 
only real cure for injustice, cruelty, oppression, and 
crime is the spirit of the Master at work in men's 
hearts. Only the Christian religion will give them 
the attitude of generosity and kindness toward their 
fellows which will make them desire to help and serve 
rather than oppress. 

The Church has been the Champion of 
Education 

The church believes ignorance is debasing and that 
it is responsible for much of the world's sin. When 
our Pilgrim Fathers first came to this country they 
built schools and churches side by side so that educa- 
tion and worship might join hands. Our first col- 
leges were established by the church, and even now 
we have in the United States many more church- 
founded than state-founded institutions of higher 
learning. 

The school follows the church. — So also in foreign 
lands. Wherever the church has gone it has taken 
the school. In China the leaders declare that the 
educational system set up by the churches has been 
one of the chief factors in the awakening of the people 



3 o WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

and in giving China a place in the family of nations. 
The church is to-day busy planting her schools in 
Africa, in India, and in the islands of the sea. 

The Church Keeps Alive a Sense of God 

Perhaps this is the most important work the church 
performs. For whatever else we need we are rich if 
we have God in our lives. Joshua of old said, "Be 
not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord 
thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 
This promise still holds good. 

The supreme task of the church. — Through all 
the centuries the supreme task has been to keep alive 
in the hearts of men a sense of the nearness and reality 
of God. It is this that gives the church its unique 
place among other institutions. It is this that makes 
it so important that Christians join themselves to the 
church and give it their loyal service and devotion. 

Just as the church has through the ages been 
helping men to find God in a more perfect way, so it 
will to-day help you, for God is in his church. He 
works through it to bless the world, and through it 
he allows each of us to join with him in the great task 
which Jesus left his church to do. 

The Present Program of the Church 

Probably never before since its origin has the 
Christian Church looked out upon so great an oppor- 
tunity as that which confronts it to-day. Probably 
never before has the world so greatly needed its 



GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS 31 

services as it needs them now. On every continent 
important changes are taking place as results of the 
world war. A dozen thrones have toppled over and 
new governments are being formed. Oppressed 
Russia is in turmoil. China's millions are full of 
unrest. India is awakening to a new sense of power. 
The map of Europe is made over and new nations are 
created. Hatred and bitterness, the after-effects of 
strife, have left their poisons in many lands. 

The church facing forward. — The church is not 
asleep to these conditions. It is aware of its respon- 
sibilities. It is aroused to meet the challenge of the 
times. The various denominations are uniting in a 
world-movement for education and evangelization. 
They are making provision for every form of Christian 
work, both at home and in foreign lands. They are 
asking and receiving funds by hundreds of millions. 
They are calling forth and training thousands of 
workers for the one common and supreme task of 
upbuilding Christ's kingdom upon earth. 

The years that He just ahead will witness great 
events and see great victories for righteousness and 
justice. The church — your church — will have an 
important share in this program. Do you not glory 
in the privilege of doing your part in the great work? 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. It is said that the church has developed the spirit 
of democracy. What do you understand by "the 
spirit of democracy"? 



32 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

2. What is the church's ideal of brotherhood? 
What did Jesus teach about this? 

3. What was the origin of the Protestant Church? 

4. Tell of the difference in the attitude toward 
womanhood in Christian and non-Christian countries. 

5. Give several examples from the life of Jesus 
showing that he taught lessons of kindness and 
sympathy. 

6. What has been the influence of the church in 
teaching the sacredness of human life? 

7. Contrast the standards of morality in Christian 
and non-Christian lands. 

8. What has been the church's influence on educa- 
tion? 

9. What is set forth as the supreme task of the 
church? 

10. Tell of the task that lies ahead of the church. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE CHURCH'S STANDARD OF 
MEMBERSHIP 

The Christian Church is, of course, made up of 
Christians, just as America is made up of Americans. 
That is well understood. But it is well known too 
that not all who call themselves Americans are equally 
good Americans, and some who claim to be Americans 
are not worthy of the name. It is equally true that 
not all members of the church are equally good 
Christians, and possibly some who are in the church 
have no right to call themselves Christians. Just 
what does it mean to be a Christian? 

Things That Do Not Prove One a 
Christian 

There are a number of things which, while they are 
commonly practiced by Christians and are highly 
desirable in themselves, yet do not really guarantee 
that one is a Christian. Some of these things are: 

Membership in the church. — All Christians should 
belong to the church; most Christians do. Yet it 
does not make one a Christian to join the church. 
You join the church because you are already a Chris- 
tian. It is true that the church will help you to be a 

33 



34 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

better Christian, but it also happens every now and 
then that some one who has his name on the church 
roll does very wicked things and shows that he is no 
Christian at all. The point we want to get at is that 
church membership in itself does not prove one to be a 
Christian. 

Attending church services. — Surely, one would not 
be called a good Christian and a loyal member if he 
failed to attend the public services of the church and 
do his part to make them a success. Yet it is pos- 
sible to attend church regularly, pay toward its 
support, and take part in its exercises without being 
truly a Christian. Some do this very thing. Church 
attendance, even regular church attendance, does not 
really prove that you are a Christian. 

Repeating the creed. — The word "creed" comes 
from the Latin word credo, which means "I believe." 
It is right that we should have a creed. What we 
really and truly believe about God, about Christ, and 
about religion has much to do with our lives. Yet 
the mere saying of a creed has little value. It is 
possible to repeat with our lips, thoughtlessly, or 
without understanding, a very beautiful creed — and 
still not be much of a Christian. Undoubtedly there 
are many persons who join in repeating the creed of 
their church without its truths really taking hold upon 
their lives. 

Reading the Bible. — No one who honestly sets out 
to be a Christian will fail to read his Bible and master 
its great truths. Yet reading the Bible does not in 



STANDARD OF MEMBERSHIP 35 

itself prove us Christians. For many people read 
the Bible without entering into its deeper meanings 
and without applying its lessons to their lives. 

Let us again repeat that all these things are neces- 
sary and good. Christians will join the church; they 
will attend its services; they will repeat the creed; 
they will read their Bibles. But, after all, these are 
the external things. They can all be done and one 
still not be a Christian. What, then, is it to be a 
Christian? What is the real test} 

What it Is to Be a Christian 

When Jesus lived upon earth he approached men 
whom he wished as his disciples and said to them, 
"Follow me." Again he said, "Come ye after me." 
Those who obeyed were his followers; they became 
Christians. 

The test of a Christian. — The call comes as truly 
to-day as in olden times. The spirit of the living 
Christ says, "Follow me." If we are willing to obey, 
we "accept Christ." This means certainly that we 
accept his way of living, and earnestly try to pattern 
our lives after his example, day by day, all the days of 
the week while we work, when we play, while we are 
alone, or when we are with others. 

To be a Christian is to live as Jesus lived. It is each 
day to make our lives as nearly as we can like his 
life. When Christ said "I am the way," he meant 
that the way he lived must be our way of living if we 
would be true followers. 



36 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

The life must be right. — This means that we must 
keep ourselves pure, and free from sin; we are to 
remember that Jesus was tempted in all points as we 
are tempted, and yet without sin. 

We must be of forgiving spirit, generous to others, 
not cherishing bitterness, hatred, or revenge against 
those who have wronged us. Almost with his last 
breath on the cross Jesus prayed his Father to forgive 
those who had crucified him. 

Our joyousness, cheerfulness, and fullness of life 
must make others see the attractiveness of our religion. 
The word "joy" was almost constantly on Jesus's lips 
whenever he was speaking of his religion. He came 
that our "joy might be full." 

We must be loyal to his cause, even when it requires 
sacrifice or hardship on our part. Jesus was loyal 
even unto death, the death of the cross . 

We must be obedient to his commands. Perhaps 
you remember some time in your own experience 
when you disobeyed your father and did wrong. 
Then came a sense of guilt and estrangement. You 
felt that a barrier had arisen between you and your 
father. You knew that he did not cherish anger or 
resentment against you, but you also felt that things 
could not be the same again between you until you 
had gone to him and made it right. We cannot 
disobey Jesus's rules of conduct and still be his fol- 
lowers and friends. 

We must be courageous to do our part in righting 
wrong or evil. Jesus was not a pacifist when wrongs 



STANDARD OF MEMBERSHIP 37 

needed righting or when justice required defense. 
He spoke out sharply when occasion demanded, and 
once even cleared the temple of money-changers by 
the use of force. 

We must be sincere and free from hypocrisy. Even 
the worst enemies of Jesus never doubted that he was 
true to his convictions. There was no pretense. 
Every word he spoke and every act he performed 
meant just what they seemed to mean. 

We must have self-control. No other virtue in 
Jesus's character stands out more clearly than this. 
Many of the recorded incidents of his life reveal his 
remarkable poise and command over himself. 

Our lives must be full of love and helpfulness for 
others — kind words, generous deeds, unselfish service. 
Jesus went about doing good. He never passed 
those by who needed help. He brought joy and 
happiness wherever he went. One day a Boston 
newspaper printed this item about the great preacher, 
Phillips Brooks: "The day was dark and gloomy, 
but Phillips Brooks walked down through Newspaper 
Row and all was bright." This was being a true 
follower of Him who came to bring joy and gladness 
to the world. 

The true measure of a Christian, then, is how one 
thinks, and feels, and lives day by day. If one is in 
all the common duties and relationships faithfully 
following the example which Jesus set in his manner 
of living, he can truly say that he is a Christian. 
Then as a matter of course, it will follow naturally 



38 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

that he will want to join the church, attend its ser- 
vices, study the Bible, and do many other things 
which will help him to be a better Christian. 

How We Become Christians 

Some do not know when or how they become 
Christians. From their earliest recollections they 
have known about God, admired and loved Jesus, and 
tried to be and to do as he would have them. Other 
persons can fix a definite time and place when they 
first felt that they definitely had the right to call 
themselves Christians. Perhaps they signed a card, 
or came forward in a church and knelt at the altar, or 
gave some other sign of their desire to be a Christian. 

It does not particularly matter about the method 
by which we became a Christian — whether it is a 
process of slow growth from early childhood, or an 
act of sudden resolve and decision. The thing that 
really matters is this: that we definitely and with full 
purpose desire to be a worthy follower of Jesus, and are 
willing to live as he would have us live and do as he 
would have us do. 

If we have been brought up as Christians from 
early childhood, then, when we have grown older and 
are able to make our own decisions we will consciously 
and with definiteness of purpose accept Jesus as our 
Saviour, guide and model and ask him to receive us as 
one of his followers. 

If, on the other hand, we have not been brought up 
as Christians, but have decided to become Christians, 



STANDARD OF MEMBERSHIP 39 

the process is the same. We must in either case 
definitely and with full purpose choose to become fol- 
lowers of Jesus and to make his way of life our way. 
Only in this way can we be true Christians. 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. Is it true that there can be good and poor 
Christians, just as good and bad Americans? How 
is one to judge between the two classes in each case? 

2. Discuss each of the several things which do not 
prove one a Christian. 

3. What is meant by saying that these are the 
external things? 

4. Make a list of the tests given for a Christian. 
Would you add still other tests? 

5. Which of these tests do you think are the more 
important, or are they of equal importance? 

6. Which is the hardest test for you to apply? 

7. Some persons grow up from earliest childhood 
as Christians, and others are "converted" when they 
are older. What was your own experience, that of 
gradual growth, or a sudden decision? 

8. Which is the more important question, how has 
one become a Christian? or, What kind of Christian 
has he become? 

9. Quote from the last section of the chapter, 
"the thing that really matters." Can you fully make 
this decision your own? 

10. Summarize the best points you have gleaned 
from the chapter. 



CHAPTER V 
PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 

A baseball game was in full swing. At the close 
of the fifth inning the score was 2 to o in favor of the 
home team, who were confident of victory. But in 
the first half of the sixth, the visitors made a rally, 
bunched their hits and ran in four scores. The 
effect was disastrous to the home team. They lost 
their nerve, errors were made, and enthusiasm was 
gone. The players seemed to lack ability to fight 
under difficulties, and the game ended 9 to 2 in favor 
of the visiting side. The home team had shown them- 
selves "quitters" 

It is possible to play the "quitter" in many other 
things than baseball. Whenever one gives way, 
becomes discouraged, and loses the spirit of resistance 
in the face of difficulties, he has become a "quitter." 
Perhaps nowhere is the temptation greater to join 
the "quitters" than in the struggle to keep ourselves 
from evil and to live up to our ideals. Many young 
Christians find that as long as everything goes well 
they are full of hope and enthusiasm; they enjoy 
their religion and are loyal to it. But when some 
trouble or doubt arises, or when in an unguarded 
moment they suffer defeat under the pressure of 

40 



PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 41 

temptation, they lose their grip and become dis- 
couraged. Before they know it they have joined 
the ranks of the "quitters." 

Problems Sure to Come 

Everyone has his problems. The young person 
who thinks that once he has decided to be a Christian 
and has joined the church, then all difficulties and 
problems will be removed from his way is much 
mistaken. Paul, in describing his own life as a 
Christian, tells how he had "fought the good fight." 
Even Jesus himself was not free from the problems 
all must meet, for we read that after his baptism he 
underwent a series of temptations. And again, 
that "he was tempted in all points like as we are." 

Indeed, it is likely that as we join the church our 
problems will, at least for a time, multiply; for many 
questions will arise which must be decided, and 
problems will come up which must be settled. The 
important thing is that we shall not in our new 
relations be "quitters," but shall "quit ourselves like 
men." 

Personal temptations. — We shall be tempted — 
there is no doubt about that. The harm comes not 
in being tempted but in yielding to temptation. True 
we may often avoid temptation, and by setting up 
right habits of resistance and self-control secure 
increasing power over most temptations. We can 
learn to turn to God for help when temptation arises 
and so add this source of strength to our own. 



42 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

But in spite of all we can do, it is likely that we 
shall sometimes yield and do wrong. What then? 
Shall we be "quitters" and say as some do, "I would 
like to be a Christian if only I could live up to it"? 
Or shall we do as the prodigal did, repent in sorrow 
for our sin and, conscious of our Father's love, return 
to him and ask him for forgiveness? 

Jesus's teaching on this point is clear. Even 
though we sin and prove ourselves unworthy, God 
still loves us and wants us to come back. Even 
though the wrong we have done cannot be wiped out 
nor the stains upon our own lives wholly erased, the 
Father is willing to give us another chance, and his 
help is always ours when we ask for it aright. Our 
part, once we are conscious of having sinned, is to 
turn from the wrong way in sorrow and regret, 
seeking forgiveness and making amends where we can. 
Having done this, we may again take courage and, 
forgetting our mistake, make a fresh start. 

Problems of feeling. — There are those who think 
that to be a Christian one must have a certain kind 
of feeling or emotional experience. It is true that 
religion often brings to us the finest, deepest, and 
most precious experiences of feeling. Yet people 
differ in the matter of feeling just as they differ in 
their type of thought or in their tastes. We cannot 
all be alike, and must therefore make allowance for 
these differences. 

Furthermore, religion is not fundamentally a matter 
of feeling, but of right living. Jesus never made 



PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 43 

feeling one of the conditions of becoming his follower, 
nor did he promise his followers that they would have 
any particular kind of feeling experience. He said, 
rather, "By their fruits ye shall know them." 

The best way to do is to let feeling take care of 
itself, for we can never get a desired feeling by directly 
seeking it. If we see a house on fire, we do not stop 
to analyze our feelings before we decide what to do. 
We give the alarm, we rush in and help with the 
rescue of any who are in danger — we do our duty as 
we see it. It is likely that in doing this we shall 
have a feeling of exultation and satisfaction because 
we are able to help, and later we may be happy over 
the service we rendered or the appreciation that came 
to us because of what we did. But this consideration 
was not the reason for our action. We saw a thing 
that needed doing and we did it, and the feeling came. 
So in the matter of living a Christian life: if we live 
rightly, act rightly — if we follow the Way — the feeling 
will come without our seeking it or troubling over it. 
God will be a very real Presence in our hearts, and 
our "joy will be full." 

The problem of associations. — It occasionally 
happens that a young person joins the church from a 
social group who are not interested in religious mat- 
ters. Then what shall he do? Shall he break old 
ties, dropping the associations of his former friends, 
or shall he keep on with the group as before? On the 
one hand there is danger to his own religious develop- 
ment if he is in intimate contact with those who are 



44 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

indifferent or hostile to the church and religion. On 
the other hand, he will probably be called a prig and 
will surely lose all chance to win his comrades if he 
breaks with them. What ought one to do in such a 
case? 

Here, as in so many other things the practice fol- 
lowed by Jesus himself will help us. He recognized 
the need of an inner circle of close friends who felt 
as he felt about the things that lay closest to his heart. 
Those with whom he was most intimate were in full 
accord with him. At the same time he mingled 
freely with the multitude and was popular with all 
classes of people. 

Does not this contain a suggestion for us? Having 
taken upon us the vows of Christians and of the 
church, shall we not naturally expect to form our 
most intimate and helpful associations among those 
who have like interests and ideals with ourselves? But 
shall we not at the same time maintain friendly and 
cordial relations with all those with whom we ought 
in any case to associate? We will make very sure, 
however, that in our associations with those who are 
not interested in religion we are exerting upon them 
a helpful influence rather than allowing them to draw 
us away from loyalty to Christ and the church. If 
we cannot accomplish this result, we should break off 
the associations. 

The problem of amusements. — The amusement 
question has been a stumbling-block to many. Some 
have felt that if they became Christians and joined 



PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 45 

the church they must then refrain from doing many 
things which otherwise would possess no harm. 

Now, it is true that the very fact that one has taken 
upon him the name of " Christian". and of a church 
carries with it a responsibility which cannot be 
escaped. One may have to refrain from doing certain 
things which otherwise he would not be especially 
criticized for doing. On the other hand, let us remem- 
ber this: The church asks us to refrain from nothing that 
is not harmful, at least under some conditions, whether 
we belong to the church or not. 

While Jesus said something about self-denial, he 
placed chief emphasis, not on denial, but on the 
positive side. "If ye love me, keep my command- 
ments." He knew that when men loved him and 
centered their life purpose on living as he lived there 
would be little doubt that particular problems would 
decide themselves. 

The restraint on amusements does not mean that 
the play side of our nature is to be shut out. Fun, 
play, recreation, and amusement are all necessary 
and worth while. The young church member needs 
to drop none of these which are good and wholesome. 
Let him be guided by the experience of older Chris- 
tians, and let him ask himself when a problem arises 
concerning any particular amusement what judgment 
he thinks the Master would render upon it. This 
is the way a distinguished teacher answered one of his 
students who asked him about amusements: ''Here 
is an imaginary line. On one side are possible dangers, 



46 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

as shown by the experience of many people. On the 
other side there is plenty of room, and an abundance 
of fun and amusement left. Why run any risk? Give 
yourself a reasonable margin of safety by keeping on 
the right side of the line." 

Problems of Sabbath observance. — What shall 
one do on Sunday? It must be assumed, of course, 
that the church member will attend the services of 
his church. But when this is done, what then? May 
one then seek recreation and change? 

In this case, as in the matter of amusements, we 
must deal with principles rather than specific direc- 
tions, leaving each to apply these principles to his own 
particular case. Jesus taught us that "the Sabbath 
was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." 
Again, that "it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath 
day." Such principles and the experience of Chris- 
tian people would seem to justify the following rules 
for the use of Sunday: 

i. Make it a day of spiritual culture through wor- 
ship, fellowship, and instruction in the church. 

2. Make the Sabbath a day of healthful rest and 
change, different from other days. Seek God through 
the beautiful in nature and art. 

3. Sunday should be a day of joy in the home. 
Home games, good reading, stories, conversation, 
singing, walking, or riding together — all these 
things are right and good if carried out in a proper 
spirit. 

4. All unnecessary labor should be laid aside on 



PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 47 

Sunday. Nor should we unnecessarily cause others 
to work for us. 

5. Make Sunday a day for cultivating friendships 
of the highest and best type. 

6. Sunday should be made a day of good deeds and 
special helpfulness to others, remembering the sick 
and needy. 

7. No act of ours on the Sabbath should tempt others 
to lose respect for the day or fail properly to observe 
it; for we are our brother's keeper. 

Taking part in religious meetings. — Many young 
people are backward about speaking or leading in 
religious meetings in their church. Sometimes they 
feel that others can do better than they or that they 
have little to say which would interest or help other 
people. Again the hesitancy may be on account of 
sheer bashfulness or diffidence when in a church, 
although on the playground or out among their 
fellows they may be able to take leadership. 

While there are many persons of true religious 
experience who speak little of their religion, it is, never- 
theless, desirable for one to train himself to partici- 
pate in the public meetings of the church. When 
opportunity offers, the young church member should, 
therefore, have the courage to take his part, doing the 
best he can. In a short time the feeling of awkward- 
ness will pass away and real enjoyment may come from 
social participation in religious meetings. 

It is, however, to be remembered that there are 
those who are naturally backward about speaking or 



48 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

taking leadership in social groups, not only in the 
church, but in other places as well. Such persons may 
find it a positive hardship publicly to read a verse of 
Scripture, give a testimony, or offer a prayer. The 
reality of their religion is not to be doubted on this 
account. There are many quiet and unheralded 
forms of service in which they may take part with 
real satisfaction. The essential thing is that they 
shall all have such a sense of duty and such devotion 
to the church that they shall earnestly and sincerely 
desire to fill their place in whatever line opportunity 
for service may offer. 

Problems of conscience. — Conscience is that in us 
which urges us to do what we believe to be right and 
which condemns us if we do what we believe to be 
wrong. Conscience is a safe guide, providing it is a 
trained and intelligent conscience. The Hindu 
mother may follow her conscience when she drowns 
her babe in the Ganges River as a sacrifice to her 
gods. In this case, conscience is not a safe guide 
because it is an ignorant and unenlightened conscience. 
The young Christian should diligently study the life 
and teachings of Jesus in order to train his conscience 
to the Christ standard of living. 

A strange thing about conscience is that while it 
may trouble us greatly when we first begin to go 
counter to its commands, it troubles us less and less 
if we continue to neglect its earlier warnings. If we 
keep on violating our conscience it gradually becomes 
so hardened that it is not disturbed no matter how 



PROBLEMS OF THE NEW MEMBER 49 

much we abuse it. The great thing, therefore, is to 
keep our conscience keen and clear by following its 
directions, not allowing its edge to be dulled by any 
evasions or contradictions. 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. What is your definition of a "quitter"? Give an 
illustration. 

2. How may one become a "quitter" about his 
religion? 

3. Shall a Christian expect that he will be free from 
temptation? Why? 

4. What is to be done if we have yielded to temp- 
tation and sinned? 

5. What problem do young Christians sometimes 
have about feeling? Is it to be expected that all will 
have the same feeling experience? What is the best 
plan to follow? 

6. What rule should one follow about his associa- 
tions? 

7. What rule should we follow about amusements? 

8. Give summary of the rules stated for Sabbath 
observance, and tell whether you think they cover the 
case. 

9. What should govern one's practice about taking 
part in religious meetings? 

10. Summarize what you feel to be the most im- 
portant points you have learned from this chapter. 



CHAPTER VI 

HOW THE CHURCH SERVES ITS 
MEMBERS 

The church stands for helpfulness and service. 
That is its business in the world — the reason for its 
existence. The service rendered by the church 
extends in two directions: it serves its members, and 
it serves the broader world outside of its own people. 
We already have spoken of the service of the church 
to society; the purpose of this chapter is to show some 
of the ways in which the church serves its own mem- 
bers. 

The Church Provides a Spiritual Home 

We all like to belong somewhere. We feel the need 
of having a place we can call our own, whether it be 
country, home, or church. To be cut off, for example, 
from one's native land, like "the man without a 
country/' sentenced never to return, would be one 
of the worst of tragedies. To feel that our home 
ties have been broken, and that those who loved us 
no longer expect or care to see us — such a fate is 
almost unthinkable. 

A place where we belong. — In a similar way, to 
be without a church is to miss some of the best things 

5o 



HOW THE CHURCH SERVES 51 

of life. We need the church because it provides us 
a spiritual home, a place we can call our own, where 
we can have the benefits of helpful associations and 
opportunities for Christian instruction, worship, and 
service. 

The Church Provides Instruction 

Just as we need the instruction of the public school 
for life and its tasks, so we also need the instruction 
provided by the church in order that we may live 
our lives in the happiest and most satisfactory way. 
We need to know about God, his love, plans, and 
desires for us. We need to understand that he is ever 
near us as our friendly protector and helper. We 
need to be informed about the great truths of religion, 
and the part religion is to have in our daily lives, 
and in the world to which we belong. We need to 
study the life and personality of Jesus, that we may 
appreciate him as our Saviour and Master. All this 
and much more the church provides for us. Such 
knowledge will help us to meet our personal problems, 
to grow as Christians, and to be intelligent in the 
service we render others. 

Through preaching. — Most of us come into the 
church without a very full knowledge of the Bible 
and religion. We need more information; we need to 
have our views broadened and our convictions 
strengthened; we need to learn constantly how to 
apply religion in a practical way to our daily lives. 

Preaching will help us in all these things; that is 



52 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

what it is for, and to that end the preacher plans and 
preaches his sermons. In the first days of the church, 
"they that were scattered abroad went about preach- 
ing the word." These first preachers proclaimed a 
message of inspiration and good news which lifted 
men to higher ideals and a stronger courage. From 
that time to the present the church has, through its 
preaching, broadened and enriched the lives of those 
who would hear and heed its message. From week to 
week and from month to month the preacher unfolds 
to us the truths hidden in the great themes from the 
Bible and from life, and shows us how to use them in 
our own living. 

Through the church school. — Feeling that we have 
need of more instruction than can be given through 
the pulpit, the church has provided for us a school. 
Usually this is on Sunday, though more recently 
week-day and vacation schools of religion have been 
organized in many places. 

We should find a place in one of these schools, and 
truly study the courses there provided. There are in 
the church schools of the United States almost twenty 
million pupils pursuing lessons dealing with the Bible 
and the problems of Christian living. One is never too 
old nor too young to belong to this church school group 
since we are never too old nor too young to learn 
about the truths of religion. 

The Church Provides for Worship 
In a heathen temple in China an old woman was 



HOW THE CHURCH SERVES 53 

devoutly prostrating herself repeatedly before a 
hideous idol. This was for her worship, the best she 
knew. We have learned to worship in the noble 
Christian way because the church has made such 
splendid provision for this part of our development. 

What worship does for us. — As we draw close to 
God through either private or public worship, it brings 
us an inner satisfaction and peace. We feel that his 
love reaches down to us, and that his strength is added 
to ours, helping us to live and grow in his likeness. 
Worship brings comfort to us when we are in distress 
or trouble; there is much suffering and sorrow in the 
world, and this is one of our greatest needs. Jesus 
said to his disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled.' ' 
Many times persons who go to church cast down, 
discouraged, and sorrowful come away with a new 
grip on life through the inspiration of the hour of 
worship. 

Worship also cultivates a sense of God's nearness. 
Is there any greater need than that of having a f eeling 
of the reality of God's presence? A British soldier 
was about to go over the top. He was facing the 
grim realities of life, death, and eternity. Turning 
to a friend who was trying to cheer him, he said, 
"It's all right to entertain me, but I want some one 
to tell me how to live and die; I want to know about 
God." True worship gives us the sense of God's near- 
ness, and a feeling that he can and does help us. Our 
worship may be in the form of a hymn appreciatively 
§ung; it may be by a prayer reaching out in earnest 



54 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

faith after God, or by the heart-searching message of 
a sermon. There is no greater service the church can 
render its members than that of bringing them closer 
to the heart of the Father through worship. 

The Church Administers the Sacraments 

The church serves its members through the admin- 
istration of two special church ceremonies, called the 
sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Both 
of these ceremonies were given by Jesus, and have 
been faithfully practiced by the Christian Church 
through all the centuries since. When properly 
administered they are very solemn and impressive. 
Their purpose is to help make more real to us certain 
essentials of Christian truth. Let us see just how 
this is done. 

Baptism. — There is an interesting story in the 
Bible about a rich Ethiopian (Acts 8. 25-39). As 
he was riding along in his chariot, Philip, one of the 
Lord's disciples, met him and talked with him about 
becoming a follower of Christ. The Ethiopian ac- 
cepted the teaching, and as a sign or token of his new 
relationship, received the rite of baptism. 

In a similar way to-day baptism serves as a part of 
the initiation ceremony when one joins the church. 
Whether we were baptized in infancy or after we 
became older, the rite signifies that we belong to the 
Father's household. A small child, of course, does 
not understand the sacrament, but many churches 
baptize young children because they believe the child 



HOW THE CHURCH SERVES 55 

is entitled to it as an outward sign of his rightful 
place in the Kingdom. Concerning little children, 
Jesus said, "Of such is the kingdom." Probably the 
chief significance of infant baptism is for the parents. 
As they consecrate the child to God, they pledge them- 
selves so to teach and train him that he may grow up 
in fellowship with the church. Then when he is old 
enough consciously to take upon himself the vows of 
church membership, he ratifies and accepts what has 
gone before. 

Baptism, then, whether for the child or for the 
adult, means to receive the badge of membership 
in Christ's church, just as a page in the olden days 
received the Order of Knighthood through the 
authority of the king. The value of the baptism 
ceremony is not in the form, nor in the water, but in 
having the right attitude of mind and heart as the 
sacrament is received. On our part, baptism is 
primarily a declaration of loyalty to Christ and 
his principles of living. 

The Lord's Supper. — The Lord's Supper, or com- 
munion service, as it is often called, is the most sacred 
ordinance of the church. It was instituted by Jesus 
and has been observed by the church ever since as a 
memorial of his suffering and death. 

On the same night that he was betrayed, the night 
before his crucifixion, Jesus met with his disciples in 
an upper room to celebrate the Jewish feast of the 
passover (Luke 22. 7-22). But this old Jewish 
supper was thenceforth to have a new significance. 



56 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

Jesus knew what the morrow had in store. He was 
anxious to make this last night with the disciples so 
full of meaning that it never would be erased from 
their memories. This he desired, not selfishly to 
exalt himself, but to stimulate in his disciples undying 
loyalty to the cause for which he was to suffer and 
die. 

So when he took the bread he gave thanks, broke 
it, and passed it to his disciples, saying, "Take, eat; 
this is my body which is given for you; do this in remem- 
brance of me." Then he took the cup, and after 
giving thanks he also passed it to them, saying, 
"Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the new 
testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the 
remission of sins; do this as oft as ye shall drink it in 
remembrance of me" 

Meaning of the bread and wine. — The white 
bread and the sweet wine are the symbols which 
represent his broken body and shed blood. Just as 
there is no value in the water in the baptismal service, 
so in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, there is no 
virtue in the bread and wine themselves. But, if we 
partake of these elements in a spirit of reverence, 
humility, and love, our act becomes a reconsecration 
to Christ and his service as we prayerfully meditate 
upon his sacrifice for us. 

The Lord's Supper is not only a memorial,, but it is 
also a real communion, or fellowship. While baptism 
is the rite of initiation into Christian relationship, 
the Lord's Supper signifies the continuance of that 



HOW THE CHURCH SERVES 57 

relationship. It helps to make Christ seem nearer and 
more real, thus bringing to us comfort, strength, and 
inspiration. Added to this, the communion binds 
us together with all of Christ's disciples into a common 
Christian brotherhood. 



The Church Provides for Social Fellowship 

We all need friends and associates. It is not 
natural to live by ourselves like a hermit. The 
largest joy and satisfaction are found only by living 
among others with whom we can share common 
interests and ideals. The church serves us by pro- 
viding for this social fellowship. In the Sunday 
school, the young people's meetings, the church 
service, the prayer meeting, and the many church 
social gatherings we are brought into contact with 
the best of Christian people. 

The value of inspiring associations. — Our church 
membership will have the largest value for us when 
we make the most of these opportunities. We should 
make a special effort to be sociable, and give as much 
as we receive. We should find our most intimate 
associations within the ranks of the church. By so 
doing we will bring to bear upon our lives influences 
that will help us much in living up to the Christian 
standards. For example, when temptations come, 
the fact that our friends expect us to be loyal to the 
church and its teachings will be a strong factor in 
keeping us true, The church, then, stimulates us to 



58 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

right living by surrounding us with people who 
expect and help us to live up to the best. 

The Church Provides for Organized 
Cooperative Service 

The final value of the church is to be measured by 
the service it renders through its members. The 
soldier may have been well trained, but unless he 
serves he is of no value as a soldier. The doctor who 
does not use his knowledge to alleviate human suffering 
is rated zero in his worth as a doctor. So the church 
not only provides instruction, training, worship, and 
inspiration, but it also organizes and directs a variety 
of activities, Members are not only exhorted to go 
about like the Master doing good, but the church 
makes plans so that their service may be most effective 
through cooperative effort. 

Ways opened for service. — For example, there are 
the Boy Scouts and the Camp Fire Girls' movements. 
Under the auspices of the church they have often 
proved helpful agencies through which the church can 
work. The young people's societies and the organ- 
ized Sunday school classes, reaching out in helpfulness 
to the community and finding new life for themselves 
through service rendered to others, afford oppor- 
tunities for us to repay something of the debt we owe 
the world. The women's missionary societies, the 
men's brotherhoods, besides various other organi- 
zations are fine avenues of service. These all have 
definite programs of cooperative service, and are 



HOW THE CHURCH SERVES 59 

achieving success in bringing the Christ spirit closer 
to the lives of people. 

As you join the church, therefore, seek your place 
in the ranks of service. Your goal as a Christian is 
not simply to be good, but to do good, remembering the 
Master's injunction, "The greatest of all is the servant 
of all." 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. Compare our need for a church home with our 
need for a family home. 

2. Explain the different ways in which the church 
provides us with instruction in religion. 

3. Try writing down for several Sundays the prin- 
cipal things you learn from the sermon. Perhaps 
this plan would be worth following permanently. 

4. Compare the amount of time and study you 
give the Bible and religion in the church school with 
the time given arithmetic or language in the public 
school. Do you think we give the subject of religion 
fair treatment? 

5. Just what does "worship" mean? In what 
different ways may we worship God!? What does 
worship do for us? 

6. What is a sacrament? What are the different 
sacraments of the Christian Church? Why do we 
have sacraments? 

7. Explain what is meant by the sacrament of 
baptism? Find and read the account of Jesus's 
baptism. When were you baptized? 



60 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

8. Read the account of the first Lord's Supper. 
Why do we now have this sacrament? 

9. Give several examples of opportunities for 
cooperative service afforded by the church. 

10. Make a summary of the principal ways in 
which the church serves its members. 



CHAPTER VII 

WHAT THE CHURCH EXPECTS OF 
ITS MEMBERS 

Just as parents are happy to give good things to 
their children, so the church is glad to serve its 
members. But receiving from any source puts us 
under obligations to give something in return. To 
repay our parents for what they do for us, we are 
expected to give our love and obedience, help in the 
home, and show loyalty to the family interests and 
welfare. What does the church desire and expect 
from us in return for all that it gives in the way of 
service and helpfulness? 

The principle illustrated. — A certain Boy Scout 
had one day done a good turn by helping an aged man 
across a crowded street in a city. The man thanked 
him very warmly, but the boy replied: "It is nothing. 
Scouts are expected to do this sort of thing." Another 
Boy Scout, when he was offered pay for doing his 
good turn, refused, saying, "Boy Scouts do not do 
that." 

The same principle applies to the members of the 
church. There are certain things that we do and 
certain things that we refrain from doing because 
the church expects it of its members; and, just as 

61 



62 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

boys are glad and proud to do what the Boy Scout 
organization expects of them, so we should be glad 
and proud to do what the church expects of us as 
members. 

The Right Kind of a Life 

The church expects that its members will live the 
right kind of life. We are not for a moment to forget 
that we are Christians, and bear the name of the 
Christ. Nor are we to forget that the honor of the 
church is in part in our keeping. Tennyson has his 
Galahad to say, "My strength is as the strength of 
ten because my heart is pure." The church, of all 
institutions, expects its members to be pure in heart, 
and to maintain the highest standards of character 
and conduct. 

Not profession alone, but practice. — Jesus told 
the Pharisees, "Ye are like unto whited sepulchers, 
which indeed appear beautiful outward but are 
within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" 
(Matt. 23. 27). Men constantly judge the church by 
what they see in its members. Just as counterfeit 
money would injure the credit of a nation or a bank, 
so a church member who does not ring true is a 
detriment to the church's standing and welfare. 

The church, therefore, has a right to -expect of its 
members that they will make their religion count 
every day in the week, and not just be a matter for 
Sunday and church times. It happened very recently 
that a certain minister preached a strong sermon on 



WHAT THE CHURCH EXPECTS 63 

"Righteousness in Everyday Living." One of the 
members of his church, who was pious enough on 
Sunday but not very careful about his week-day life, 
became indignant. He said, "Things have come to 
a pretty pass when religion is applied to a man's 
private life." But that is exactly what religion is for. 
It is not a cloak to be worn on Sunday. Our religion 
enters into all we think, and say, and do, under all 
circumstances and at all times and in all places. Only 
when we take religion into our lives in this practical 
way can it be real and satisfying, and only thus can 
we do our duty as members of the church. 

A Spirit of Cooperation 

No business or other organization can be run suc- 
cessfully without team work among those responsible 
for it. There must be a spirit of cooperation in the 
home, the school, the athletic team, or any other 
group which would be successful in its enterprises. 
The church expects its members to look upon the 
church as their church — to be interested in its welfare, 
to be loyal to its enterprises, and in every possible 
way to promote its interests. This does not mean 
that we should be narrowly denominational, nor that 
we should fail to see the good in other churches. Just 
as one would not think much of a student who was not 
loyal to his class, or of a member of a football squad 
who was not loyal to his team, so we expect the same 
kind of loyalty and support from members to their 
churches. 



64 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

Refrain from fault-finding. — This spirit of cooper- 
ation will keep us from all unnecessary criticism and 
fault-finding. When things go wrong or fail to suit us, 
we will remember that not everyone can have his way, 
but that working together always means adjustment 
and giving in to the interests of the larger number. 
Therefore, whether we can always have our way or 
not, we will in every case be "boosters," and not 
"knockers," in the work of the church. 

Loyal attendance. — We will support the church 
and show our spirit of cooperation by our attendance 
upon its exercises. No organization can run unless 
those who belong to it come to its meetings and do 
their part. If the church is to have preaching, then 
it must have listeners. A good sermon is as much 
dependent upon the readiness of a congregation to 
receive it as upon the ability of the minister to deliver 
it. The loyal church member will, therefore, plan to 
give a reasonable portion of his Sunday, and of his 
week days when necessary, to the meetings of the 
church. Nor should he look upon this in the light of 
a sacrifice, but remember at all times that if he goes 
in the right spirit, he is receiving much more than he 
is giving. 

The loyalty of prayer. — Tennyson said, "More 
things are wrought by prayer than the world dreams 
of." The church believes in prayer. It urges its 
members to seek this great source of help and inspir- 
ation, not only for their own lives, but for the life of 
the church they have chosen. The welfare of the 



WHAT THE CHURCH EXPECTS 65 

church should, therefore, be an object of definite 
prayer on the part of all its members. Christ's king- 
dom cannot advance without the prayers of Christian 
people. 



Active Participation in Church Activities 

The church is a working institution. It carries 
on a wide range of activities which require the parti- 
cipation of many people. Almost all of them give 
their time, and quite freely, without monetary com- 
pensation. The church is, therefore, dependent upon 
the good will and loyalty of its membership for the 
carrying on of its program. One must not expect 
continuously to drink in without giving something in 
return. 

Doing our part. — We should remember that in 
the church exercises there is singing to be done, 
responses in which we can join, and various other 
activities which need our support and participation. 
When we attend the church school we should recog- 
nize that only those who have given time and thought 
to the preparation of the lesson can make any real 
contribution to the class. If we have grown older, 
and are sufficiently prepared to take our place as 
teachers in the church school, we should not hesitate 
to give the time and effort necessary. There are 
almost two million Sunday school teachers and officers 
in the United States who are gladly and freely giving 
their time and service to this work. Recruits nat- 



66 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

urally must come from the younger members in order 
to make good the losses frohi this great army. 

Many fields of service. — There are many avenues 
of service awaiting us. No one need stand idly by 
waiting for a chance to serve. Besides teaching in 
the Sunday school there are social meetings requiring 
leaders, and various lines of work demanding com- 
mittees. There is the missionary project with its 
enlarging program of world service. There is the 
task of evangelism — winning and leading men to 
Christ. In short, there is work for every person in 
the church who will freely give up his time and 
thought in order to make the church program a 
success. As we behold the need and opportunity for 
workers, may the challenge make us loyally respond 
like Isaiah of old: "Here am I; send me." 

Financial Support 

Every working organization requires financial sup- 
port from some source. Sometimes, as in the case 
of the school, this support may come from the state 
through public taxation. In the case of the church, 
however, the support is altogether through voluntary 
contributions from its members. 

We must pay our share. — Now, it costs money to 
run a church. Not only is the building itself to be 
supplied, and the necessary equipment, but there are 
the minister's salary, church school supplies, and 
many other expenses which must constantly be 
provided for. Besides support for its local needs, 



WHAT THE CHURCH EXPECTS 67 

every church also expends money for its outside enter- 
prises, such as home and foreign missions, education, 
special gifts, and benevolences, and many other 
things. 

Some one must pay all these bills of the church. 
This means they must be paid by the members, and 
each one should do his part. Even the young mem- 
ber should regularly pay toward the expenses of the 
church. Furthermore, he should, if possible, pay 
from money earned by himself, and not from that 
given him for this purpose by his parents. 

A method of giving. — As to the method of giving, 
the tithe is commendable. This method was followed 
by the Jews as an expression of their loyalty to God's 
work. The plan was recognized and honored by 
Jesus when he said, "These ought ye to have done, 
and not to leave the other undone" (Matt. 23. 23). 
In our giving we need to recognize that all we have 
belongs to God. He is the owner and we are his 
stewards. Some people are able to give more than a 
tenth. But whether our income be large or small, 
we are expected to be faithful as Christian stewards 
according as God has prospered us, remembering that 
"God loveth a cheerful giver." 

Growth 

Just as we grow in body and mind, so also the 
church expects us to grow in Christian character and 
efficiency of service. As small children we understood 
very little about the meaning of family life, but 



68 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

through continued experience and training in the 
home we came to understand more about its beautiful 
relationships, and about our duties and privileges as 
members of the home. In the same way we are to 
grow and develop into helpful Christians and church 
members. 

Means of growth in the church. — Through the 
instruction, worship, and fellowship within the church 
we shall grow in our knowledge of the Bible, of religion, 
of the church, and of everything for which the church 
stands. Not only this but we also shall grow broader 
and richer in our religious experience and in our 
efficiency as workers in the ranks of the church 
membership. So important is the matter of growth 
that we shall give a future lesson to its consideration. 

Study and Discussion Topics 

i. Do you think that voluntarily joining an organi- 
zation carries with it the obligation to live up to the 
standards of that organization? How will this apply 
to our membership in the church? 

2. Just what did Jesus mean when he accused the 
Pharisees of being like "whited sepulchres"? Read 
Matt. 23. 23-28 before you answer. 

3 . How can w&e make our religion a part of our every- 
day lives? Give concrete examples. 

4. When you have heard fault-finding against the 
church, has it usually come from loyal workers or 
from those who were doing little for the success of 
the church? What do you conclude? 



WHAT THE CHURCH EXPECTS 69 

5. What do you think should be the program of 
church attendance on the part of church members? 
Have you a fixed program which you follow? 

6. Try making a list of all the different church 
activities in which you are able to take part. Do 
you do your full share in each? 

7. What rule do you think Christians should follow 
in their giving. Church members average giving less 
than three cents a day for the work of the church; 
is this enough? 

8. What responsibility do you think young Chris- 
tians should take about earning the money to pay their 
share of the church expense? 

9. Inquire about the budget of your local church, 
and learn what system is used for raising the funds. 
Then decide how much you should pay. 

10. Make a summary of the points you think 
should be remembered from this lesson. 



CHAPTER VIII 
GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 

A little girl in the catechism class was asked, 
"Who made you?" Holding her hands about eight- 
een inches apart she replied, "God made me so long, 
and I grew the rest." 

The little girl expressed a great truth. We do not 
come into the world with full stature; we must grow 
physically, mentally, and spiritually. To-day a child, 
and to-morrow a man or woman taking our part in 
the world — with just growth and development in 
between. 

The Law of Growth 

Growth is universal among all living things. The 
plant which fails to grow quickly withers and wastes 
away. The mind which ceases to expand soon falls 
into the rut of old-fogyism and decay. The soul that 
fails to grow in spiritual knowledge and power loses 
its responsiveness to God, its satisfaction in religion, 
and its ability to win others to right ways of living. 
Jesus recognized the necessity for growth when he 
said, "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full 
corn in the ear" (Mark 4. 28). 

New growth in the church. — The point for young 
Christians especially to understand, then, is that they 
have not finished when they have publicly acknowl- 

70 



GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 71 

edged their allegiance to Christ and united with the 
church; they have only just begun. They are like 
plants transplanted into new and richer soil, and their 
spiritual vitality will be measured by the growth they 
make in this new environment. 

You have no doubt observed two fields of corn 
planted side by side from the same seed with only the 
fence between them, one field tall, vigorous, and 
thrifty, the other stunted and yellow. Wherein lay 
the difference? The difference lay in the fact that 
in the first field all the conditions of growth had been 
met — fertile, well prepared soil, light, warmth and 
moisture — while the other field lacked some one or 
more of the conditions necessary to growth: the soil 
was not fertile, or else it was not well cultivated, or 
else moisture was deficient; some law of growth had 
been broken. 

Difference in growth. — It often happens in much 
the same way in the matter of religious growth. Two 
persons of about the same age and ability may join 
the church at the same time. In a few years one of 
them is a strong Christian and an efficient worker in 
all the church's enterprises, while the other has not 
developed much beyond the stage he had reached 
when he entered. The difference here, as in the other 
case, lies in obeying or neglecting the laws of growth. 
Let us note some of the laws of spiritual growth. 

Prayer Necessary for Growth 
There is no possibility of spiritual growth without 



72 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

prayer. Prayer is as necessary to the life of the soul 
as sunshine and air to the plant. Without it the 
spirit grows cold toward God, and all the spontaneity 
and satisfaction falls away from our religious expe- 
rience. 

Great men always pray. Washington at Valley 
Forge, Gladstone carrying great burdens of state, 
Foch commanding the forces of freedom — these men 
naturally, and as a matter of course, turn to God in 
prayer for guidance and strength. Paul, writing to 
the new members of the church at Thessalonica, urges 
them to "pray without ceasing." Jesus, when weary 
and worn from the day's troubles and work, or when 
confronting some great task demanding more than 
human wisdom, went away by himself and found 
comfort and courage in prayer. 

When we should pray. — We should pray often. 
When Paul urges his converts to "pray without 
ceasing" he does not mean, of course, that they are to 
be on their knees all the time. His thought is, rather, 
that they shall at all times and under all circumstances 
be conscious of God's presence, sympathy, and help, 
and shall freely open their hearts to this influence. 

But this does not mean that we should not have a 
regular set time for prayer. The prayer attitude, or 
prayer "without ceasing," is like the constant work 
of our blood system which goes on day and night 
carrying food to every part of the body. But this 
process could not continue very long if we did not 
have regular meals of nutritious food. So with 



GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 73 

prayer. We must have the special moments when 
in the quiet of our hearts we shall talk with our heav- 
enly Father; on this our spiritual growth and strength 
depend. 

How we should pray. — No one can tell another 
just how to pray, since prayer must be a true expres- 
sion of what is in the heart if it is to be real prayer. 
There are, however, several principles which may 
suggest how each of us may pray. 

1. We should not pray mere words, "saying our 
prayers' 7 as a matter of custom or duty. It is pos- 
sible to repeat the Lord's Prayer, even, automatically, 
with no meaning or spontaneity in it, making it no 
prayer at all, but, rather, an insult to God. We 
should give to our prayers the best thought and 
fullest meaning of which we are capable. 

2. There are several different kinds, or types, of 
prayer: 

(1) The prayer that is simply talking to God about 
things that interest us, much as we would talk to a 
near but unseen friend. 

(2) Prayer that petitions, or asking God for some- 
thing we need or desire — help to do some task, for- 
giveness for sin, blessing for our friends or family. 

(3) Prayer of fellowship with God and of gratitude 
worship to him; the desire to merge our will with his, 
and to feel the full meaning of his sympathy and love 
in our life. 

What ought we to pray about? — It is right that 
we should pray all of these different kinds of prayers, 



74 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

yet the prayer of repentance for wrong doing, and the 
prayer of fellowship and worship are perhaps the 
highest types. Many persons question whether, in 
our prayers of petition, we have a right to ask God 
to do for us what we ought to do for ourselves, or to 
save us from the effects of misdeeds knowingly com- 
mitted. For example, a certain high-school girl 
prayed very earnestly that she might successfully 
pass an examination on a subject in which she had 
willfully neglected her study. It is not rare for people 
deliberately to break the rules of health and then pray 
(without real repentance) that they may escape 
sickness. We must do our part before we ask God 
to do his. 

Growth Through Study of the Bible 
and Religion 

If one wants to become a chemist, he studies the 
text books on chemistry, but he does more than this. 
He goes into the chemical laboratory and works out 
the laws and theories through actual experiments. 
In order to be a worthy Christian one needs to follow 
the same plan. First he must study the Bible, the 
textbook of religion, and then he must put its teachings 
into practice in the laboratory of Christian living. 
Only in this way will his religious knowledge be 
helpful and his religion real. 

The greatest book. — There are many reasons why 
one should know his Bible. As Sir Walter Scott lay 
in his last illness, he called for a book. Upon being 



GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 75 

asked what book, he replied, "There is but one book — 
give me the Bible. " By common consent the Bible is 
the world's greatest book. It has had a wider circu- 
lation and a wider influence than any other book of 
any time. The Scriptures are to-day available in 
whole or in part in more than five hundred different 
languages and dialects. 

But we should study our Bible not only because of 
this position of preeminence, but because of its great 
religious value. It acquaints us with God as our 
Friend and Father, showing us his love and his plan for 
our life. It reveals Jesus as our Saviour and example, 
showing us the way to live. It portrays human 
nature. In it we see how true happiness comes to 
those who are obedient to God, and how unhappiness 
comes to those who turn away from him. The 
Bible shows us how God's presence and power may 
be felt in our own lives, helping us to live and grow 
daily in accordance with his will. It thus becomes a 
source of wisdom, guidance, and inspiration. To be 
ignorant of its teachings is to miss the best foundation 
that has been laid for satisfactory living. 

How we got our Bible. — In our study of the Bible 
we need to remember that it is not one book, but 
sixty-six books, written by different authors at dif- 
ferent times. Hundreds of years elapsed between 
the writing of the earliest books and the writing of the 
latest books. Each author wrote for some distinct 
religious purpose, but not one of them knew that his 
writings would be gathered with others into a sacred 



76 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

book and used centuries afterward as a Bible by 
millions of people. 

But in the days of the early church, long before 
there was a Bible, various religious writings were 
used in the services of worship. As years went by 
they were gradually brought together, and finally 
came to be spoken of as one book. Thus our Bible 
has been a growth. The significant feature about 
these writings which gave them a place in the Bible 
was the fact that each one in its own way revealed God 
or some phase of religious truth, the culmination 
being found in the life, death, and resurrection of 
Jesus Christ. This is why the Bible holds such a 
high place in the world's thought. It is God's revela- 
tion to mankind. 

How to study the Bible. — As to a method of study, 
no single one can be prescribed. Different people will 
follow different plans. Much will depend upon our 
age, understanding, and the purpose we have in mind. 
Some people read the Bible through from Genesis to 
Revelation. But this is not the most helpful method, 
especially for young people. Some parts of the 
Bible are not very interesting to children, although 
they may be helpful when we are older. 

Careful students may with great profit study each 
book separately, trying to understand its exact 
message in the light of the time, circumstances, and 
purpose of its writing. Another interesting method 
is to study the great characters of the Bible. As we 
study the lives of such men as Abraham, Joseph, 



GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 77 

Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Jesus, John, and Paul 
we find them full of inspiration. 

But whatever method we may follow in study, we 
must not neglect the Bible as a book of devotion. 
Take a few moments each day for quiet reading, 
meditation and prayer. Perhaps the daily readings 
assigned in the church school lessons will serve as a 
guide. As we read attentively God will speak to us 
from his holy book. 

Other religious reading. — The growing Christian 
will keep informed on the religious enterprises of the 
day and on the great questions confronting the church. 
This means that he must be a reader of the books, 
journals, and papers which deal with such problems. 
Hundreds of good, interesting books and many 
periodicals are now available on religious themes for 
every earnest reader. 

We Grow by Serving 

To grow strong we need to exercise. The athlete 
is muscular and vigorous, not only because he eats 
properly, but because he trains his body. This law 
of activity is written in every part of our being. To 
grow as Christians we need to serve. The church 
member who shirks responsibility and lives only for 
himself will suffer spiritual paralysis. Like the man 
who hid his talent in the napkin, he will lose even that 
which he had before (see Matt. 24. 24-29). 

Learning by doing. — A story is told of a young 
Korean Christian. He had been studying the Sermon 



78 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

on the Mount, but was having difficulty in under- 
standing it. The missionary teacher then explained 
a small portion of it each day and told the Korean to 
go out and put it into practice. Coming back with 
a smile of intelligence he said, "Now I understand." 
The principle is always true. It is through living 
the truth that we really learn and grow in under- 
standing. 

Nothing was emphasized more constantly by Jesus 
than the need of helpful service. It was the law of 
life in his kingdom. One day some of the disciples 
were discussing among themselves the question of 
rank, and Jesus revealed to them the secret of true 
greatness. He said, "Whosoever would be first 
among you shall be servant of all." Not what a man 
gets for himself, but what he does for others is the 
measure of his greatness. We never erect statues 
for men who live just for themselves. We give a 
high place in our mind to such men as Jacob Riis, 
Booker T. Washington, William Carey, David Living- 
stone, and Abraham Lincoln. They dedicated their 
lives in self-forgetful service for the welfare of their 
fellow men. 

Growing Like our Model 

Christ was a great teacher — but he was more than 
that. He was our great example. Luke pictures his 
ideal growth and development as a lad twelve years 
of age when he says that he "increased in wisdom and 
stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2. 52). 



GROWTH WITHIN THE CHURCH 79 

Jesus followed the rules that we must follow. — 

He was our model in prayer. He felt it a constant 
need. Often he withdrew from the crowd into the 
mountains or into the desert that he might be alone 
for prayer. He was a student of the Old Testament 
Scriptures as they existed in his day. He was con- 
stantly referring to them in all his teaching (Matt. 
22. 29, Luke 24. 27; 24. 32). Knowing their value for 
spiritual life and growth, he said to his disciples, 
"Search the scriptures." 

Jesus was our model in service, he "went about 
doing good." He came "not to be ministered unto, 
but to minister." Toward the close of his ministry 
he said to those who knew him best, "I am in the 
midst of you as he that serveth." He showed them 
by his life what it meant to be brotherly, and to 
desire the best for every man, no matter what he 
might deserve. His whole simple gospel could be 
summed up in loving helpfulness for others. 

Shall we not, then, make him our supreme example, 
striving that we may attain a full, rich growth as his 
followers? 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. By referring to the body and the mind show our 
need of growth. Can you show that the same truth 
holds for our spiritual nature? 

2. What are the conditions necessary to physical 
growth? To mental growth? To spiritual growth? 

3. Why do you think Christians should pray? 



80 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

4. How often and when should we pray? 

5. How should we pray, and for what? 

6. Compared with your school texts, how well do 
you know your Bible? What is your plan or method 
of studying the Bible? Why should one read the 
Bible daily? Will you do this? 

7. What religious reading should one do besides 
his study of the Bible? With the help of your pastor, 
Sunday school teacher or parents make a list of 
several religious books suitable for your reading. 
Will you plan to read, say, four such books within 
the next year? 

8. Read the story Jesus told about the man who 
hid his talent in a napkin. Why was he condemned? 
How does that apply to us? 

9. You have known some beautiful characters, 
perhaps of older persons, whom you greatly admire 
for their Christlike spirit. Do you suppose they were 
always that way, or did they grow by making Christ 
their model? 

10. From this chapter make a summary of the 
best lessons you have gleaned and will hope to re- 
member and use. 




MAP OF t: 
Shaded portions show regions where Method] 






WORLD 

is at work spreading the gospel of Christ 



CHAPTER IX 
OUR OWN CHURCH 

You have joined the Methodist Church. It is now 
your church, to be your place of worship, and the 
center in which you will serve. 

Do you realize how large and extensive is this 
church which you are joining? The Methodist 
Episcopal Church has more than 4,200,000 members, 
while the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 
numbers more than 2,100,000. The joint member- 
ship of these two great branches of Methodism is 
almost equal to the combined population of Chicago, 
Philadelphia, Boston, Saint Louis, Minneapolis, and 
Baltimore. Imagine the numbers marching at the 
rate of three miles an hour, eight hours a day! You 
would have to stand for about one hundred days 
waiting for the last of the great procession to pass in 
review! Think of the possibilities for world conquest 
in the name of Christ which such an army represents! 
Is it not glorious to be a part of it! 

In order to have some idea of the world-wide extent 
of Methodism's battle lines, let us look at the shaded 
map. Our chief center of strength lies, of course, in 
the United States, where a large proportion of our 
members reside. But you will notice also that our 
responsibilities extend to every continent. We have 

81 



82 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

nearly 500,000 members in the foreign field, the most 
of them being in eastern and southern Asia. And we 
have splendid, growing work in many countries of 
Europe, and in Africa and South America. 

To carry on these vast enterprises calls for large 
equipment. The two main branches of Methodists 
have nearly 48,000 church buildings and 21,000 par- 
sonages, enough to house a city of one hundred 
thousand persons. The church owns property valued 
at more than $350,000,000. The annual expendi- 
tures have been nearly $40,000,000, but the amount 
handled is being greatly increased through the gifts 
of the Centenary Fund and other recent income. 

The wealth and importance of a church, however, 
like the wealth and importance of a nation, does not 
consist in the value of its material belongings, but 
in the character and worth of its men and women 
and boys and girls. The Methodist church is very 
rich in this human and spiritual worth, to which 
each of us should add something through our member- 
ship in it. 

Origin of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church 

But let us take a look into the past, that we may 
understand the beginnings out of which our great 
church arose. This takes us first to England, where 
Methodism began. 

It was in the early part of the eighteenth century, 
two hundred years ago. The moral conditions in 



OUR OWN CHURCH 83 

England were very low. Profanity, drunkenness, 
Sabbath-breaking, and vicious sports were rather 
common. Vice was unchecked and public life was 
full of corruption. 

John Wesley — his early life. — It was into this 
kind of a situation that John Wesley was born at 
Epworth, England, in 1703. There was one general 
church in England at that time called the Church of 
England. It was different from our churches in 
that it was supported by the government. Wesley's 
father was a clergyman in the Church of England. 
His mother was noted for her Christian character and 
her devotion to her children. 

When John Wesley was six years old the parsonage 
at Epworth, where the family was living, caught 
fire. The house was soon enveloped in flames. All 
but John had escaped. With the aid of some of the 
neighbors he was rescued through an upstairs window 
just as the roof fell in. "Come, neighbors," cried 
the father, when his child was brought to him, "let us 
kneel down! Let us give thanks to God! He has 
given me all my eight children. Let the house go. 
I am rich enough." The fire and the prayer naturally 
made a deep impression upon the imagination of the 
young child. He afterward referred to himself as a 
"brand plucked from the burning." 

Wesley at Oxford. — A number of years afterward, 
while in school at Oxford, John and Charles Wesley 
together with some other students formed the habit of 
uniting in one of their rooms for study and prayer. 



84 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

They became so earnest and regular in their habits 
that the other students mockingly called them the 
"Holy Club/' and "Methodists." This term of 
scorn before long came to be highly honored as the 
name of our great church. 

Becoming a missionary. — Upon leaving Oxford 
Wesley felt that he ought to become a missionary, and 
in 1735 sailed for America to do work among the 
Indians in Georgia. But his work was not successful, 
and he returned to England in 1738 very much dis- 
couraged. There was one thing which happened on 
this journey that profoundly affected all the remainder 
of Wesley's life. On board the ship were some 
Moravian missionaries and their families. During a 
severe storm, when most of the passengers were 
crying out with fear and excitement, Wesley noted 
the Moravians seemed very calm and unafraid. He 
made their acquaintance and learned from them a 
very important lesson. This lesson was so important 
that it gave a new vision to Wesley and a new power 
to his ministry. It was this: that religion is not only 
something to study and learn about, but even more 
important, it is a vital part of one's everyday life, a very 
real experience to be felt and known. 

To be able to speak of religion with a certainty and 
conviction which grew out of personal experience — 
this was something new to Wesley. On his return to 
London he sought out the Moravians and at a meeting 
in Aldersgate Street on the 24th of May, 1739, he 
received the experience for himself. 



OUR OWN CHURCH 85 

The great English revival. — The new religious 
experience set Wesley aflame with a new passion. 
Together with Charles, his brother, who later became 
a great hymn writer, and with George Whitefield, a 
noted preacher, they started an evangelistic campaign 
which continued for half a century. Their purpose 
was not to found a new church, but to revive religion 
in the Church of England, and improve the moral 
conditions of society. 

On account of their methods and the plainness and 
zeal of their message the reformers were barred from 
the churches. They then took to preaching on the 
streets and in the fields, often speaking to more than 
ten thousand at one time. People were converted 
everywhere, and large numbers flocked to the stand- 
ards of the new movement. 

As was to be expected under such conditions, 
persecutions sprang up. The Wesley s were often 
greeted with mobs and pelted with stones and mud. 
But, just as it was in the days of the early church, so it 
was now. The more they were persecuted, the more 
the work increased. 

As time went on, the movement grew and came to be 
treated with more tolerance, and the Methodists were 
looked on with respect for their earnestness anddevout- 
ness. Wesley was recognized as a great leader, and his 
cause as a worthy cause. His own journals record that 
during his later days he was received everywhere with 
the greatest respect, "the populace turning out and 
standing agape as though the king himself passed by." 



86 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

The first Methodist Society. — Although there was 
no intention on the part of Wesley to organize a new 
church, it soon became a necessity. As the converts 
multiplied they had to be gathered into a church and 
cared for. The Church of England held itself aloof 
from the movement, and would not receive the new 
members. In fact, it is doubtful whether the new 
Methodists would have fitted into the church of that 
day. So Wesley organized them into classes and 
societies for instruction. The first class of converts 
was organized at Bristol, England, in 1739, and in the 
same year the "Old Foundry" at London was dedi- 
cated as the first "Methodist Chapel." 

From this humble beginning the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church has come. Wesley labored for nearly 
fifty years, traveling on horseback through England, 
Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, preaching an average of 
five hundred sermons a year. At his death in 1791, 
the new church numbered 120,000. So rapid was the 
growth, and so marked the influence of the movement 
that again and again Wesley was led to exclaim, 
"Behold, what hath God wrought!" 

Methodism in America. — The beginning of Meth- 
odism in America was connected with a curious inci- 
dent. Among the converts of Wesley on one of his 
trips into Ireland was a man named Philip Embury. 
Embury came to America in 1 760. The following year 
another group of Irish immigrants arrived, among them 
Barbara Heck, a peasant woman of courageous char- 
acter and a loyal Methodist. Coming upon Philip 



OUR OWN CHURCH 87 

Embury, she found that he had allowed his religious 
life to grow cold. Rebuking him, she demanded that 
he immediately start a preaching service. "But I 
cannot preach/' stammered Embury, "for I have 
neither chapel or congregation." "Preach in your 
own house," replied Barbara Heck, "and to our own 
company." Philip Embury preached his sermon; 
thus American Methodism began in a private house 
in New York, in 1766, the first congregation number- 
ing five persons. The first Methodist chapel was 
built in 1768, Philip Embury preaching the first 
sermon. It still stands on John Street, New York, 
and was known as "Wesley Chapel," now "Old John 
Street Church." 

As the work grew, the need of leadership and assist- 
ance became apparent. A letter was written to 
Wesley asking that a leader be sent to develop Meth- 
odism in America. In response to this appeal two 
men, Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor, vol- 
unteered to go. The members of the British Con- 
ference of 1769 took up a collection to provide for 
their passage. In addition, a gift of £50 was sent as 
a token of brotherly love from British to American 
Methodism. Thus these two men started out with 
£50 to Christianize a continent! 

Our first Bishop. — Two years later, 1771, British 
Methodism sent to America its greatest contribution, 
Francis Asbury, who at once became the inspiration 
and leader of the church in the new country. He 
traveled annually on horseback from New England 



88 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

to Ohio, preaching and directing the work. His 
salary was $64 a year! 

The official birthday of our church in America was 
December 25, 1784, when the first Methodist Con- 
ference, historically known as The Christmas Con- 
ference, was held at Baltimore. Thomas Coke and 
Francis Asbury were elected and consecrated bishops; 
other ministers were ordained, and our first Methodist 
Discipline was formulated and adopted. 

Methodism, North and South. — The work of the 
new church spread rapidly. By the year 1800 the 
membership was 65,000. Methodism in America 
continued as one church until 1844, when the slavery 
question became so intense that a division was effected 
and the Methodist Church, South, was formed. But 
this unfortunate cause of division is now a thing of 
the past. Old differences are being forgotten, and 
the spirit of unity is coming to prevail. Indications 
are that an early reunion of American Methodism 
will be brought about; then our great church will 
move forward with a membership of more than six 
millions. What an imperishable monument is this to 
the consecrated genius of our human founder, John 
Wesley, and what a responsibility this enormous body 
of Christians bear to the world! 



Study and Discussion Topics 

1. Give facts to show the magnitude of the Meth- 
odist Church in numbers. 



OUR OWN CHURCH 89 

2. Give facts to show its importance geographically 
and in expenditures. » 

3. Tell the story of John Wesley, the founder of 
our church. 

4. Give an account of the first Methodist Society. 

5. Tell how the Methodist Church had its start in 
the United States. 

6. Tell of Philip Embury; of Francis Asbury. 

7. When and where did Methodism have its official 
beginning in this country? 

8. Tell of the help given by British Methodism to 
American Methodism. 

9. Explain about Methodism, North and South. 
10. Give a summary of the important points of 

the chapter. 



CHAPTER X 

ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 
OF OUR CHURCH 

In the European war, the United States mobilized 
more than 4,000,000 men. To look after the sup- 
plies, training and military movements of such an 
army called for a vast system of organization. There 
were companies, battalions, regiments, and divisions, 
requiring thousands of officers of various ranks such 
as lieutenants, captains, colonels, majors, and generals. 

In a similar way Methodism has had to be highly 
organized. There is a complete system of Con- 
ferences, the principal divisions of which are the 
Quarterly Conference, the Annual Conference, and 
the General Conference. To supervise the work 
there are many officials and leaders, the chief of whom 
are the ministers, district superintendents, and 
bishops. 

Our System of Conferences and Supervision 

Suppose we visit, in imagination, a meeting of the 
governing body of our local church, that we may learn 
what we can about the Methodist system. This 
local organization is called a Quarterly Conference 
because it meets four times a year to hear reports and 
transact the business of the church. As we enter 

90 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 91 

the room we see many people we know. There are our 
pastor, our Sunday school superintendent, the presi- 
dents of the Epworth League, the Men's Brotherhood, 
the Woman's Foreign and Woman's Home Missionary 
Societies, besides several others who are called 
trustees and stewards. We learn that the trustees 
look after the church property, while the stewards 
supervise the finances of the church. 

The Quarterly Conference. — Sitting at the table 
as the presiding officer is a man we have perhaps met 
before, the district superintendent. He has twenty- 
five or thirty churches on the district under his 
supervision, so we only get to see him three or four 
times a year. We are told that there are several 
other districts in our Annual Conference jurisdiction; 
and that at the session of the Annual Conference the 
district superintendents meet with the bishop as a 
Cabinet, to advise with him about the appointments 
of the ministers. 

But let us return to our Quarterly Conference. 
After opening the meeting with a prayer, the district 
superintendent calls on the pastor and the leading 
officers to give reports of the work under their charge. 
Then there are several questions that follow in the 
order of business the purpose of which is to put on 
record the progress of the church, and also, to find 
out if any department needs special attention. 

After going through this routine matter, the district 
superintendent calls for miscellaneous business. One 
of the stewards arises and says; "The Annual Con- 



9 2 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

ference meets in a few weeks. It will have much 
important business to transact. But none more im- 
portant than the appointment of the ministers. I am 
sure I voice the feeling of all the official members of 
this Quarterly Conference when I say that we hope 
our pastor will be returned. Therefore, that the pre- 
siding bishop of the Annual Conference, in making the 
appointments, may know our wishes, I move that 
we officially request the return of our pastor for 
another year." A vote is then taken on this motion. 
Other Conferences. — Then the district superin- 
tendent says, "As you know, the General Conference 
meets this year during the month of May. It is the 
lawmaking body of our church, having final authority 
in all legislative matters. It also elects the bishops 
and other general officers of the church. The eight 
hundred or more delegates, as you know, are elected 
by the Annual Conferences. So your Annual Con- 
ference will elect its quota of delegates at its coming 
session. But since half of the delegates are laymen, 
it is required by the Discipline that a Lay Electoral 
Conference shall convene every four years at the same 
time and place as the ministers' Annual Conference, 
for the purpose of electing lay delegates to the General 
Conference. This Lay Electoral Conference is com- 
posed of laymen, one from each church, of the Annual 
Conference. So you are now asked to choose one of 
your laymen to serve in this capacity." Nomina- 
tions are then made, and the election is completed, 
after which the meeting adjourns. 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 93 

From this imaginary visit to a Quarterly Conference, 
we get a little glimpse of the closely connected system 
of the Methodist Church. First, there is the Quar- 
terly Conference, or, in its stead, the "official board." 
Next is the Annual Conference made up of the 
ordained ministers within its area. It meets once 
a year to review the work, transact necessary business, 
receive new candidates for the ministry, and fix the 
ministers' appointments for the following year. 
And, finally, there is the General Conference, the 
highest authoritative body of our church. This 
complete system of organization, carefully supervised 
by our bishops, district superintendents, and ministers, 
has been one of the secrets of the rapid permanent 
growth of our church in its world-wide enterprises. 
The scheme appearing on the following page repre- 1 
sents this system of organization. 

Our Benevolent Enterprises 

John Wesley said, "The world is my parish." This 
ideal has ruled our church in all of its history. The 
consciousness that we are working together, not 
simply to build up our local church, but to serve 
millions of people in every land has urged us on to 
vast achievements. 

When the battle was going against them a Scottish 
bugler was ordered by his commander to play a ''re- 
treat." He replied, "I cannot play a retreat, but I 
can sound a charge!" Methodism, like the Scottish 
bugler, has not learned to retreat. Its command is 



94 



WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 



BISHOP 

Elected by General Conference. 
Presides over Annual Conferences 
and General Conferences. Makes 
the annual appointments of the min- 
isters. Gives intensive supervision 
to the work of a specified area, con- 
sisting of several Annual Conference 
jurisdictions. We have about 
thirty-eight effective bishops. 


— > 


GENERAL CONFERENCE 

, Composed of about eight hundred 
delegates, half ministers and half 
laymen, elected by Annual Confer- 
ences and Lay Electoral Conferences. 
Meets every four- years, Lasts 
usually one. month. Makes church 
laws, elects bishops, and other gen- 
eral church officials. 






\ 




DISTRICT 
SUPERINTENDENT 

A minister appointed by a bishop 
to supervise the work of a district 
made up of twenty-five or thirty 
churches. Each Annual Confer- 
ence has several districts. The dis- 
trict superintendents meet with the 
bishop as a cabinet to advise about 
the appointment of the ministers. 


— » 


ANNUAL CONFERENCE 

Composed of ordained ministers 
within its jurisdiction. Meets an- 
nually. Reviews the work of the 
year, transacts necessary business, 
receives candidates, for the ministry, 
fixes the ministerial appointments, 
and once in four years elects its 
quota of General Conference dele- 
gates. 


tmmamm 




X 






MINISTER 

Term applied to the preacher or 
pastor in charge of a church. It is 
his duty to preach, conduct di- 
vine worship, visit the sick, give 
oversight to all the work of his 
local church, and in every way 
possible build up the spiritual life of 
the community. 




QUARTERLY CONFERENCE 

OR 

OFFICIAL BOARD 

Governing body of local church. 
Composed of pastor, Sunday school 
superintendent, trustees, stewards, 
and presidents of various local 
societies within the church Meets 
three or four times a year. Hears 
reports and gives oversight to all 
general matters pertaining . to the 
welfare of local church. District 
superintendent presides when pres- 
ent. 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 95 

always "Forward!" This is the spirit which has 
prompted our great benevolent enterprises. 

Board of Foreign Missions. — It was in 1806 that 
the foreign missionary spirit had its birth in America. 
Five students sat beneath a haystack in Williamstown, 
Massachusetts, discussing the possibility of obeying 
the Master's command to take the gospel to every 
creature. They thought of the millions in India, 
China, Africa, and other lands who are bound by the 
chains of idolatry and superstition. They wished 
and prayed that somehow they might be permitted to 
take the light to those who sit in the darkness of 
heathenism. Finally, one of this number cried out, 
"We can if we will," and the others repeated the cry. 

A few years later four of these young men volun- 
teered their services to go to the ends of the earth as 
missionaries. They presented themselves to the 
authorities of the Congregational Church, as a result 
of which an organization was effected in 1810 to raise 
the funds and supervise their work. It was called 
the American Board of Foreign Missions. This was 
the first missionary society in America. In 18 19, 
our own Methodist Missionary Society was organized 
in order to meet our share of the world-wide need. 

Turning to the map, it is seen how widely our 
missionary front has extended. Methodist mission- 
aries are to-day scattered in thirty-four different 
countries, working in a hundred different languages 
and dialects. 

Board of Home Missions. — But the need for 



96 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

missionary work is not limited to the foreign field. 
It is needed in this country also. There are the 
Indians on the frontier, and the throngs of immi- 
grants coming to our shores every year. The Board 
of Home Missions grew up to minister to these people, 
to give them the gospel, and help to make them good 
Christians and good Americans. 

Board of Education. — One of the first things done 
by our Pilgrim forefathers was to establish Christian 
schools for the instruction of their children. Our 
church has always felt this a duty. Our Board of 
Education was organized to give special attention to 
this task. To-day we have 108 Methodist schools, 
colleges, and seminaries. To help needy students in 
these schools an Educational Loan Fund has been 
established which aids about 2,000 worthy young 
people every year. 

Board of Sunday Schools. — John Wesley made it 
a special rule that his preachers should not neglect to 
provide religious instruction for the children. The 
Sunday school has developed to meet this need. But 
in more recent years this work has taken on special 
significance. To make possible a larger advance in 
Sunday school work, our Board of Sunday Schools 
was created by the General Conference of 1908. 
Since that time the Sunday school advance has been 
phenomenal, the membership growing from 3,000,000 
in 1908 to 4,500,000 in 1920. 

The other principal benevolent boards of our 
church are the Board of Education for Negroes , which 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 97 

looks after the education of colored people in the 
South; the Board of Conference Claimants, which 
provides a support for our retired ministers, their 
widows and orphans; and the two great women's 
societies, the Woman's Foreign, and the Woman's 
Home Missionary Societies, 

The Centenary. — The year 19 19 was the one 
hundredth anniversary of the beginning of Missions 
in Methodism. In commemoration thereof, it was 
decided to put on a campaign greatly to enlarge the 
missionary vision and giving of our people. The result 
was marvelous. More than $113,000,000 was raised 
for the world-wide task. 

Dr. Charles E. Jefferson, a leading minister in 
another denomination, said: "The successful financial 
drive of the Methodists of the United States for work 
at home and abroad is the most stupendous achieve- 
ment of any branch of the Christian Church in modern 
history. It is in every way wonderful. It dazzles 
the imagination and thrills the heart. It aimed, not 
simply at dollars, but at the building up of the life of 
the soul. It was a vast program of spiritual culture." 

That this tribute is merited is seen further by the 
fact that the campaign includes the united effort to 
win a million new converts to Christ and the church, 
and also to enlist fifty-three thousand new recruits 
for life service in the work of the Kingdom. 

It taxes our imagination fully to realize the sig- 
nificance of this great task. It is vastly increasing the 
resources, equipment, and missionaries of our boards, 



9 8 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

making possible long needed reenforcements on the 
field. It is also bringing a deepened spiritual life 
to the whole church, as our people have caught the 
vision of larger service. As one has said: "It runs 
far into the future. It is as wide as the world, and 
it goes down deep into the soul." 

What a privilege it is to live in this new day and 
have a part in the unparalleled opportunities for 
extending the kingdom of God to the ends of the 
earth! What a privilege to be a soldier in the great 
onward marching army of the Christian Church! 

The Challenge to World Conquest 

As a member of the Methodist Church, you have 
enlisted in the conquest for world righteousness. 
Think of the progress already achieved. Starting with 
Christ and a handful of fishermen, the new kingdom 
began its growth. At the end of the second century 
there were two million Christians, at the end of 
the eighteenth century, two hundred millions, and 
at the end of the nineteenth century, five hundred 
millions. 

But think of the task yet uncompleted. In China 
and India, with their hordes of population, ninety- 
five per cent of whom cannot read or write; in Africa, 
"apart from mission stations, the people do not even 
know that writing has ever been invented!" Almost 
a billion people in this world — ten times the population 
of the United States — have never heard of Jesus 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 99 

Christ. The vice and degradation under such con- 
ditions is almost beyond belief. How can the world 
be safe until these strongholds of sin and heathenism 
have been broken down? How can the church rest 
until it has brought the Light into this darkness? 

So this is our challenge. It calls for unlimited 
consecration of life, money, and prayer from those who 
belong to the army of the Christian Church. But we 
shall not fail. Even as we gave of money and life to 
make democracy safe for the world, so with unstinted 
sacrifice and devotion we shall respond to make the 
world safe for democracy by carrying Christ's mes- 
sage to every corner of our own land and to the ends 
of the earth. 

Study and Discussion Topics 

1. Show by a comparison why the Methodist 
Church requires a large and carefully planned organi- 
zation. 

2. What is a Quarterly Conference, and where and 
how often is it held? What are its duties. 

3. What is an Annual Conference, and what are its 
duties? 

4. What is a General Conference? How often is it 
held? Who make up its membership? What are its 
duties? 

5. Name the principal officials of the church, 
beginning with bishops. 

6. Tell of the Board of Foreign Missions and its 
work. Of Home Missions. 



ioo WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

7. What are some of the other boards of the church 
and their functions? 

8. Give an account of the Centenary, its purpose 
and program. 

9. Tell of the great present-day challenge to the 
church. 



SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 

Some Things Methodists Should Commit to 
Memory 

There are many things which it would be well for 
us to know by heart. For example, we ought to 
store our minds with beautiful passages of Scripture, 
such as the first psalm, the tw T enty-third psalm, the 
twenty-fourth psalm, the Beatitudes (Matt. 5. 1-12), 
First Corinthians, thirteenth chapter, and many 
others. These will deepen our religious knowledge 
and strengthen our faith. For the same reason we 
ought also to commit several of the choice hymns of 
the church. In addition, four other things are here 
suggested which every new member should at once 
learn: The Apostles' Creed, the Ten Command- 
ments, the General Confession, and the Lord's 
Prayer. 

The Apostles' Creed 

A creed is a clear, brief statement setting forth the 
fundamental beliefs of a church. Many centuries ago, 
creedal statements became necessary in order to 
defend the church against false teachings. The 
members needed to know clearly just what the 
church believed. Otherwise they were in danger of 

101 



102 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

becoming confused in their thought and being led 
astray by false doctrines. 

The Apostles' Creed grew out of such conditions. 
It is the oldest creed now in use, some of its clauses 
probably going back as far as the days of the apostles. 
That is why it is called Apostles' Creed. It is quite 
generally accepted to-day by both Protestants and 
Catholics. 

It is the custom in our Methodist churches to use 
the Apostles' Creed every Sunday morning, the 
congregation reciting it together as a part of their 
worship. It, therefore, is very desirable that we 
should be able to give it from memory so that we can 
participate easily and reverently in the service. 

THE APOSTLES' CREED 
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker 
of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only 
Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy 
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under 
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; 
the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended 
into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God 
the Father Almighty ; from thence he shall come 
to judge the quick and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic 
Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness 
of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life 
everlasting. Amen. 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 103 

As you study this creed think about it carefully, 
so you will be able to understand it when you recite 
it. The "Holy Ghost" means God's Holy Spirit or 
the Helper who Jesus promised would be sent after he 
went away, to live in our hearts and to comfort, guide 
and help all true disciples. The phrase "holy catholic 
Church" does not mean Roman or Greek Catholic 
Church. The word "catholic" means "general" or 
"universal." It therefore refers to the church, con- 
sisting of all true Christians everywhere, 

The Ten Commandments 

According to the Bible story (Exod. 19. 16 to 20. 26) 
the Ten Commandments were prepared by Moses 
under divine inspiration and authority. They not 
only furnished a moral code for the children of Israel, 
but they have been the basis of all moral laws down to 
the present time. 

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, 
nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, 
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water 
under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto 
them, nor serve them; for I Jehovah thy God am a 
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon 
the children, upon the third and upon the fourth 
generation of them that hate me, and showing loving- 
kindness unto thousands of them that love me, and 
keep my commandments. 

III. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy 



io 4 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless 
that taketh his name in vain. 

IV. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the 
seventh day is a Sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it 
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy 
daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor 
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; 
for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the 
sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh 
day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day, and 
hallowed it. 

V. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days 
may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God 
giveth thee. 

VI. Thou shalt not kill. 

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

VIII. Thou shalt not steal. 

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
neighbor. 

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, 
thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man- 
servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, 
nor anything that is thy neighbor's. 

The following abbreviated form of the Ten Com- 
mandments is used in the prayer book for Boy Scouts. 
Some may prefer to use this form. (See Boy Scout 
Book, pages 106-107.) 

1. I am the Lord thy God ? thou shalt not have 
strange gods before me* 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 105 

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy 
God in vain. 

3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 

4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 

5. Thou shalt not kill. 

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

7. Thou shalt not steal. 

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
neighbor. 

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. 

The General Confession 

This is a part of the ritual ceremony which is used 
during the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The 
congregation is expected to recite the " Confession" 
together. Therefore we should all know it so we can 
participate heartily: 

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Maker of all things, Judge of all men, we acknowledge 
and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which 
we from time to time must grievously have committed. 
by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine 
Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indig- 
nation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are 
heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remem- 
brance of them is grievous unto us. Have mercy upon 
us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy 
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that 
is past; and grarit that we may ever hereafter serve 



io6 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

and please thee in newness of life, to the honor and 
glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

THE LORD'S PRAYER 

Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be thy 
name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our 
daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as 
we forgive those who trespass against us. And 
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, forever, Amen. 

Some Things Methodists Should Know About 

The Discipline is the book which contains the 
constitution, laws, regulations, ritual, etc. of the 
Methodist Church. As time goes on we ought to be- 
come informed as to its contents so that we may be 
intelligent and efficient as Methodists. It is the 
guide book to most things pertaining to our church. 
The General Conference is the only body which has 
power to make any changes in it. 

The General Rules of Our Church 
(Abbreviated. Printed in full in the Discipline, 
Iffl 26-33.) 
The General Rules 
Forbid: (a) Doing harm or evil of any kind. — 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 107 

Profanity (swearing) ; unnecessary work and buying or 
selling on Sunday; using, buying, or selling intoxi- 
cating liquors as a beverage; fighting, quarreling, 
brawling, brother going to law with brother; returning 
evil for evil; smuggling; taking usury or unlawful 
interest; uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, 
particularly speaking evil of magistrates or of min- 
isters; doing to others as we would not they should do 
unto us. 

(b) Doing what we know is not for the glory of 
God, as: Extravagance in dress; the taking such 
diversions as cannot be used in the name of the 
Lord Jesus; singing smutty songs and reading ques- 
tionable and harmful books; needless self-indulg- 
ence; laying up treasure upon the earth; contracting 
debts without a probability of being able to pay 
them. 

The General Rules 

Require us to be merciful and to do good 

of every possible sort, and as far as possible to all 
men; 

To their bodies, by giving food to the hungry, by 
clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that 
are sick or in prison. 

To their souls, by instructing, reproving, or encour- 
aging all with whom we come in contact. 

By doing good, especially to Christians, employing 
them preferably to others; buying one of another; 
helping each other in business. 



io8 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

By being diligent and frugal. 

By running with patience the race which is set 
before us, denying ourselves and taking up our cross 
daily. 

The General Rules 

Enjoin attendance upon all the ordinances of 
God. — Such are: 

The Public Worship of God. 
The Lord's Supper. 
Family and private prayer. 
Bible study. 

The Twenty-eive Articles of Religion 

The Twenty-five Articles of Religion were written 
a long time ago. At the time of the Reformation in 
England in the sixteenth century, the Church of 
England prepared thirty-nine statements or articles 
which represented their belief at that time. When 
Methodism started in America, John Wesley felt that 
a creed was necessary. So he prepared the twenty- 
five articles which are simply an abbreviated adap- 
tation of the thirty-nine articles of the Church of 
England. 

It has been thought best to preserve them in their 
original form, because of the historic associations. 
Consequently, as you read them in the Discipline, the 
language sounds very strange. However, they con- 
tain much essential truth. A short statement of 
their central teachings is herewith given. 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 109 

THE CENTRAL TEACHINGS OF THE 
ARTICLES OF RELIGION 

(The Articles are printed in ful in the Discipline, 

1f1f 1-25O 

i. There is but one God, but he has revealed him- 
self as a Trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Spirit. 

2. Jesus is the God-man. He was truly man and 
also truly God. 

3. Jesus arose with his body from the grave and 
lives forever. 

4. The Holy Spirit is a divine Person. 

5. The Bible contains all we need to know to be 
saved and is our only sacred rule of faith and life.* 

6. The Old Testament is sacred as well as the New 
Testament. The Old Testament ceremonies and 
customs were for the Jewish people, but its general 
precepts are for all. 

7. All men inherit from their ancestors evil as well 
as good traits and desires. These inherited evil 
impulses incline us to do wrong and are therefore 
called "birth sins," or "original sin." 

8. Each of us has a free will and can choose right or 
wrong, but we are unable without the help of God 
to live a good and holy life. 

9. We are saved by faith, and faith alone. No one 
can be saved by his good works.* 

*A star (*) indicates that the article is not accepted by the 
Roman Catholic Church. 



no WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

10. Good works that are done in the right spirit are 
pleasing to God. They are the necessary fruits of a 
Christian life. 

n. No one can do more good than he ought to do, 
so there can be no works of " supererogation" to be 
credited to other people.* 

12. A Christian who falls into sin can receive God's 
forgiveness if he truly repents. 

13. The visible Church of Christ is composed of 
believing people banded together to provide for the 
preaching of the gospel and the administration of the 
sacraments.* 

14. The Roman Catholic view of purgatory, the 
pardon of sins, and the worship of images, relics, and 
saints is contrary to the Word of God.* 

15. In the public worship and the sacraments only 
a language the people can understand should be used.* 

16. There are only two sacraments, Baptism and 
the Lord's Supper.* 

17. Baptism is a symbol of the new birth, or the 
beginning of the Christian life. 

18. The Lord's Supper is a symbol of Christ's 
suffering and death for us. The bread and wine are 
not changed into Christ's body.* 

19. The people have a right to both the bread and 
the wine in the Lord's Supper.* 

20. The "mass" is unscriptural and utterly wrong.* 

21. Ministers have a right to get married.* 

22. Every church, or denomination, has the right 
to adopt and use a ritual of its own. * 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES iii 

23. The government of the United States is and 
ought to be free and independent. 

24. Christians have a right to own private property, 
if they use it in a Christian way. 

25. It is right for the sake of justice and truth to 
take an oath before a proper official. 

Ten Doctrines Which Methodists Believe 
and Teach 
by bishop vincent 
I. I believe that all men are sinners. 
II. I believe that God the Father loves all men and 
hates sin. 

III. I believe that Jesus Christ died for all men to 

make possible their salvation from sin, and 
to make sure the salvation of all who be- 
lieve in him. 

IV. I believe that the Holy Spirit is given to all 

men to enlighten and to incline them to 
repent of their sins and to believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 
V. I believe that all who repent of their sins and 
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ receive the 
forgiveness of sin. (This is justification.) 
VI. I believe that all who receive the forgiveness of 
sin are at the same time made new creatures 
in Christ Jesus. (This is regeneration.) 
VII. I believe that all who are made new creatures 
in Christ Jesus are accepted as the children 
of God. (This is adoption.) 



ii2 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

VIII. I believe that all who are accepted as the chil- 
dren of God may receive the inward assur- 
ance of the Holy Spirit to that fact. (This 
is the witness of the Spirit.) 
IX. I believe that all who truly desire and seek it 
may love God with all their heart and soul, 
mind and strength, and their neighbors as 
themselves. (This is entire sanctification.) 
X. I believe that all who persevere to the end, and 
only those, shall be saved in heaven forever. 
(This is the true final perseverance.) 

THE CONVERT'S COVENANT 1 

I, here and now, reject the sinful and worldly life 
and solemnly promise by the help of God to resist sin 
in every form. 

I believe in God our Father, who is in heaven, "who 
loves us and gives us all good things." 

I believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, "who gave his life 
for us, forgives us our sins, and teaches us" to love 
God with all our heart and our neighbor as our- 
selves. 

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our 
trials, delivers us from evil, leads us into all truth and 
works in us to do the will of God." 

I believe in the Church, in the life after death, and 
in the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. 

1 This contains the substance of the pledge made by the young 
Christian at the time of baptism and reception into full member- 
ship. 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 113 

I accept baptism as a sacred pledge, that I will 
obediently keep God's holy will and commandments 
and walk in them all the days of my life. Amen. 

A Membership Ceremony 1 

Form for Receiving Children as Members of the 

Church 

We regard all children who have been baptized as standing in 
covenant relation to God, and as preparatory members under the 
special care and supervision of the Church. Whenever baptized 
children shall understand the obligation of religion, and shall give 
evidence of piety, they may be admitted into full membership in 
the Church. 

At the appointed time, the Minister shall read the names 
of the children to be received; and, after they have 
come forward, he shall say to the Congregation: 

Dearly Beloved, these persons here present before 
you are baptized children of the Church, who, having 
arrived at the years of discretion, desire now to con- 
firm the vows of their baptism and to enter upon the 
active duties and the full privileges of membership in 
the Church of Christ. They have been duly in- 
structed as to the truths of the Christian faith, and 
have been examined as to their fitness for such 
membership. Before they assume the required vows 
let us invoke on their behalf the gracious blessing of 
God our Father, and the continued presence of the 
Holy Spirit who hath inclined their hearts to this 
end. 

l From the Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Copyright, 1920, by The Methodist Book Concern. 



ii 4 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

Then shall the Minister say: 

Let us pray. 

Almighty and everliving God, who has appointed 
unto children a place in thy kingdom, and through thy 
well beloved Son didst give unto them thy blessing, 
we beseech thee that thou wilt visit with thy favor the 
homes of this congregation, and fill the hearts of all 
parents with the fear of God and the spirit of wisdom 
and love. We pray that thy church may be faithful in 
the nurture of those committed to her care. Let thy 
blessing rest upon these, thy children, whom thou hast 
graciously inclined to thy service and to the fellowship 
of thy people. We beseech thee, that thou wilt so 
further them by thy grace and direct them by thy 
Spirit, that they may be faithful servants in thy king- 
dom on earth, and finally reign with thee in thy king- 
dom above, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Then shall the Minister say: 

Hear the words of the Gospel as written by St. 
Luke (Chap. 2. 40-52). 

And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with 
wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. And 
his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast 
of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, 
they went up after the custom of the feast; and when 
they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, 
the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his 
parents knew it not; but supposing him to be in the 



ORGANIZATION AND ENTERPRISES 115 

company, they went a day's journey; and they sought 
for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance: and 
when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, 
seeking for him. And it came to pass, after three days 
they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of 
the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them 
questions: and all that heard him were amazed at his 
understanding and his answers. And when they saw 
him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto 
him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, 
thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said 
unto them, How is it that ye sought me? know ye not 
that I must be in my Father's house? And they 
understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 
And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; 
and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept 
all these sayings in her heart. 

Then shall the Minister address the Persons seeking 
Admission as follows: 

Dearly Beloved, we rejoice in the grace of God in 
that he has brought you to this place, and by his Spirit 
has confirmed you in your purpose to serve him and to 
live in the fellowship of the Church of Christ. It is 
needful now that you should declare your faith and 
purpose in the presence of this congregation by answer- 
ing the following questions: 

Do you receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and 
do you confess him as your Lord and Master? 

Answer. I do. 



n6 WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH 

Do you receive and profess the Christian Faith as 
contained in the New Testament of our Lord Jesus 
Christ? 

Answer. I do. 

Will you be loyal to the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and uphold it by your prayer, your presence, 
your gifts, and your service? 

Answer. I will. 

Then, the Candidate kneeling, the Minister shall say: 

Defend, O Lord, these thy children with thy heaven- 
ly grace, that they may continue thine forever, and 
daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, 
until they come unto thy everlasting kingdom. Amen. 

Then the Minister, extending the right hand of fellow- 
ship, shall say to the Candidates: 

We welcome you to the communion of the Church 
of God; and, in testimony of our Christian affection 
and the cordiality with which we receive you, I hereby 
extend to you the right hand of fellowship: and may 
God grant that you may be a faithful and useful 
Member of the Church militant till you are called to 
the fellowship of the Church triumphant, which is 
"without fault before the throne of God." 



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